Song For You
by gd20
Summary: AU. Santana goes on tour with Pink; Brittany is a dancer for Pink. This is the story of what happens between the two over the summer tour.
1. Chapter 1

So this is a total AU. It may be a little unrealistic, but it's just fun to write. Songs used in this chapter that are said to be written by Santana are actually "Love On The Rocks" by Sara Bareilles, "Hold My Heart" by Sara Bareilles, and "Someone Like You" by Matt Wertz.

Enjoy. Much more to come.

* * *

><p><em>I had always thought of love and soul mates as some kind of fantasy. It was just too good to be true. Since I was a kid, I had to keep reminding myself that I shouldn't get my hopes up; only the lucky few would find true love. The kind of love that you dream about, the kind that makes your heart skip a beat, the kind that only exists in movies, the kind that changes your whole life overnight. Don't even get me started on love at first sight. How the fuck was that even possible? It all seemed too fairy tale-esque. And fairy tales weren't real. <em>

_Everything I had once thought about love was blown to fucking pieces when I met Brittany Pierce._

…

After three years of countless demo tapes, playing small shows and tirelessly promoting herself however possible, the stars finally aligned and Santana signed a record deal with a small label. With that contract, she recorded her debut album. It wasn't a chart topper...and she wasn't expecting much with her first CD, but it was enough for one of the songs to be featured on an episode of Grey's Anatomy. It was a lucky break but she took it with open arms. After that exposure, a lot of people had heard of her single, "Love On The Rocks," but no one had any clue who Santana Lopez was.

When the record label approached her, she took it as a sign to continue pursuing music because for a while she contemplated giving it up completely. It assured her that she wasn't crazy for still having this dream of being on the radio and selling millions of records, no matter what her mother said. Now with a little experience under her belt, it was time to start thinking about her sophomore record. Thankfully, her contract was extended to cover her next album. After her first CD didn't do as well as the label hoped, Santana was nervous they were going to drop her. When she convinced them that this album would be different, they decided to stick with her for one more, pending its success. That was in March, and back then Santana had been sitting on some good material but the label gave her six additional months to keep writing, organizing, and collecting the group of songs she would record. Santana didn't argue, in fact, she was pretty happy about it. She didn't want to blow this second chance, so the more time she had to figure her music out, the better.

Writing sessions and trips to the studio became daily routines for Santana, but everything changed in April when she was contacted by Pink and was asked to join her summer tour. Yes, Pink, the Grammy award winning superstar. When her manager first told her the news, Santana almost slapped him. She couldn't stop swearing and she simply kept repeating, "shut the fuck up." She accused him of lying, but when he proved it, she almost fainted. Santana could not believe that something this awesome could happen to her. After years of living paycheck to paycheck, countless nights of sleeping in her car, and once in an act of desperation, pawning half of what she owned to pay the rent; things like this just didn't happen to her. She had to pinch herself everyday just to remind herself that she even had a record deal to begin with. Going on tour with Pink? It just seemed too perfect. Santana instantly thought that something terrible was bound to happen, just to put a balance to her universe.

But apparently, Pink was a big Grey's fan. When she heard Santana's single, she became obsessed with it. After listening to the rest of her stuff, she knew she had to have Santana join her on tour. Pink was a genuine fan and one of her favorite things to do was to help jump-start the careers of artists she loved. Santana wasn't about to convince her otherwise, so she accepted the superstar's offer before she could change her mind. Talk about catching a fucking break. Even though Santana originally wanted to spend the summer writing and working on new material, she couldn't pass up this opportunity of a lifetime.

Pink's show had two opening acts and she liked to have something different for each one. The other act was a guy named Artie Abrams. Santana had heard of him before...but not for his music. He was born with a handicap that forced him to live in a wheelchair, but when he was 17 he underwent an experimental surgery that changed his live. It was all over the news: "Miracle Surgery Gives Boy Ability to Walk." After the surgery, he discovered his calling and he dedicated his life to music and dancing. Even though he was a geeky looking white boy, he had moves like Usher and his music was described as an addicting combination of rap and R&B. Despite his medical claim to fame, at age 23, Artie was still struggling to hit it big in the industry. When Pink found out about his story and his passion for music, she fell in love with it. He was an obvious choice for her other opening act.

...

The tour's start date was May 4th, so Santana spent most of April rehearsing with her band that consisted of her best friend, Puck, and his roommate Sam. Puck played guitar and bass, Sam played the drums, and Santana played the keyboard and dabbled in the guitar as well. Together they created a very unique sound of pop combined with genuine soul. The three created a set list containing some of Santana's originals along with a few popular covers to attract the audience. Santana knew that she would be a stranger to most of the people she would be playing for, so she chose her songs carefully, hoping to come off as appealing as possible. They practiced for hours a day until Santana felt like they were perfect. Her nerves made her a bit paranoid, and band practice usually ended with Puck convincing her that they sounded great. Towards the end of April, the entire show need to be rehearsed before the tour's kick off, so all of the opening acts and crew met Pink at the venue of the first show to run everything over.

They were told to be there at 9 am sharp, and when Santana and her band arrived, they were unprepared for the spectacle they were about to see. Security directed them to the floor of the venue, and the sheer size of the room stopped them in their tracks. Sure, they had been to this place before...but they had never seen it empty. And they definitely didn't think they'd be playing there anytime soon. The arena was massive, studying it closely Santana thought it was bigger than any stage she'd ever seen. A sea of thousands of empty seats circled a crew of 15 people who were frantically assembling the technical parts of the stage. Five others were getting the band's instruments in place, and 10 more were setting up the backdrop and taking orders from Pink as the vision of her Funhouse Tour was brought to life.

Santana, Puck and Sam were star-struck by the production they were witnessing. For what seemed like 20 minutes, they stood and just observed. Santana closed her eyes and imagined what the place would look like in just a few days, full of screaming fans. It was only when Puck cleared his throat when she snapped out of her reverie and noticed the blonde who was running towards them from a group of dancers who were sitting in the middle of the arena. Now for a whole other reason, Santana had to convince herself that she wasn't dreaming. To put it simply, the girl was stunning. She was wearing shorts that were far to short for Santana not to notice her flawless and tan legs. Not to mention the white v-cut shirt she was wearing perfectly accentuated her breasts that were not too big but not too small. Santana couldn't contain the smirk that snuck up on her. Her blonde hair rested messily on her shoulders and as she got closer, Santana's heart beat quickened.

"Hi! You're Santana, right?" she said as she stopped a few feet in front of them.

"Yep, that's me," Santana replied, taken a bit off guard by the peppy manner of the blonde.

"These guys are my band, that's Puck and Sam."

"Oh great! Nice to meet you guys! We've been waiting for you, Santana. I'm Brittany, by the way," the dancer said, and extended her hand.

"Nice to meet you," she said as she grabbed her hand. Brittany's skin was softer than she thought was possible. The handshake lasted a little longer than usual, and as their hands parted Santana craved more.

"Come on, come meet everyone else!" Brittany said and skipped over to the other dancers who were stretching in a circle.

"Dude, she's hot," Puck said, leaning closely to Santana just for her to hear.

"I know, right?" Santana couldn't explain this rush of excitement that came over her. "Don't even think about it Puckerman. I got dibs, she talked to me first."

"Fine. But if she comes onto me then no promises. You can't turn off the Puckerman allure," he smiled.

"Fuck you," Santana laughed and gave him a punch as they followed the blonde to the middle of the floor.

Just as they reached the group of dancers, Brittany casually grabbed Santana's hand and introduced her and the boys. Usually, Santana refrained from contact with others, but the way the blonde took her hand without thinking twice made her feel light and comfortable. Lost in the feeling of their interlocked fingers, the only name Santana caught out of the 10 dancers was Mike Chang, and that was only because Brittany put emphasis on the fact that he was her best friend.

They exchanged smiles and small talk for a while and within minutes, Santana had the crowd figured out. Reading people was her specialty and she had a terrible habit of passing judgment, so after twenty minutes it was clear that the only person she really had an interest in was Brittany. She knew she would eventually have get to know these new acquaintances since she'd be spending the long summer with them, but for right now her attention was solely on the blonde. Santana loved the way Brittany licked her bottom lip before speaking. She loved how she ran her hand through her hair unconsciously throughout the conversation. She loved how her foot was always tapping to a beat that was looping in her head. Everything little thing she did was cute and it all drove Santana crazy.

With one glance at Puck, Santana could tell he was in his own personal heaven. He was already flirting with a red head that was falling for his every word while Sam had found himself a shorter blonde to sweet talk. Santana rolled her eyes. Yep, they were going to fit in just fine.

...

After meeting the dancers, Brittany took Santana under her wing. At first, Santana couldn't tell if someone had put the blonde up to hanging with the newbie, but after a while it was obvious that it was by choice. They were on a tight schedule for the rest of the day, the first thing on the agenda being set practice for the opening acts, starting with Santana. Before her band's sound check, Brittany introduced her to everyone else; the stage crew, tour directors, Artie Abrams, and the hair and make up team. It was all very overwhelming for Santana. By what seemed like the 50th introduction, all of the names blurred together in a cloudy haze. Gary's sounded like Larry's and Katherine's got mixed with Caitlin's, but Brittany assured her that she'd help keep them straight.

It wasn't until right before she took the stage for her set practice when she met the person who was responsible for all of this craziness. Santana thought she'd be a lot more nervous the superstar who was personally making her dreams come true, but Pink made it feel like she was simply bumping into an old friend.

"Well if it isn't Santana fucking Lopez," Pink said before giving her a bear hug. "It's so good to finally meet you!"

Santana laughed as Pink squeezed her so hard she thought her ribs would break.

"It's nice to meet you too! You have no idea how grateful I am to be here."

"Oh please, you deserve to be here," her sincerity made Santana blush a bit.

"Well thanks, I still can't really believe it. This stage looks incredible."

"I know, it's insane, right? But I think you're up! Go kick some ass, girl. I'll be watching!" Pink nudged her before turning around and heading to the sound booth.

The tour manager was calling her name, so Santana composed herself and took a deep breath. Brittany could sense the girl's nerves so she offered up some words of encouragement.

"You'll be great. No need to worry, you already got the job." Brittany smiled and put her hand on her shoulder. Her touch radiated heat through Santana's body and the warmth seemed to calm her instantly. "Just go have fun."

Santana returned the smiled and nodded in agreement and took the stage.

...

Their practice took about an hour to run through in its entirety. When it was over, Santana felt ten times more confident about her set than before. They did a quick sound check and played their six song routine. As Santana and the band practiced each song a couple of times, Pink and the producers gave them some constructive criticism but ultimately they were impressed. They loved the energy the three spunky kids brought to the stage and they especially enjoyed the band's covers.

After Santana's set, she and the boys joined Brittany and the other dancers in the stands to watch Artie's run through. They watched in awe as the once crippled boy completely owned the stage. Santana wasn't sure what to expect, but Artie completely blew her away. Talk about talent. He could dance better than anyone Santana had ever seen and his rapping skills were untouchable. When his hour long practice ended, he had earned the respect of everyone who was watching.

...

Next on the agenda was a tour wide meeting. Everyone from the dancers to the make up artists to the tech crew met on the floor of the arena to listen to speeches from Pink, her tour manager, Greg, and a couple of other people who were in charge. Over the next hour or so, they discussed how the next four months would operate. Pink kicked off the meeting with a quick pep talk about her excitement for the tour and how she felt like she was surrounded by the best group of people possible. Greg took over from there, explaining the ins and outs of each night's show as well as how the traveling between shows would work. Some guidelines and rules were mentioned, along with the staff's expectations and goals for a smooth tour.

As important as it was for Santana to pay attention to the speakers, she couldn't keep her mind off Brittany. There was just something about her that was intoxicating. In a room crowded with performers and tour staff, the tall dancer was the only thing Santana could focus on. The combination of the blonde's laugh, her perfectly messy hair, her stunning blue eyes and her toned body were almost too much for her to handle. Each smile and passing glance from the dancer made Santana feel weak in the knees.

When Greg began discussing how the tour buses were divided and assigned, Santana forced herself to pay attention since she'd been very curious about their living arrangements. Greg explained that there were three buses for the performers; one for Pink and her close staff, one for Pink's dancers, and one for the opening acts and the hair and make up crew. He explained that there was ten bunks in each bus so everyone better get used to close quarters. Santana groaned at the thought of sharing a confined space with three cluttered boys, but having the six girls from the hair and make up crew there as well would make it less painful.

...

Once Greg closed the meeting, he announced a 20 minute break before they'd have to meet back in the arena for Pink's set practice. Ecstatic, Sam, Puck, Artie, Mike and a couple of other dancers went to grab some food. A few others went back to explore their dressing rooms which left Santana alone with Brittany.

"Come on, let's go check out your bus. I already saw mine this morning," Brittany said.

Santana agreed. The girls made their way outside and to the bus, chatting about their excitement for the first show. When they reached the bus, Santana paused to remember the 4 digit code that Greg had told them earlier that she needed to unlock the door.

"I've always wanted to do this. I feel so legit," Santana said as she typed in the code.

"It's the real deal," Brittany replied, smiling wide.

The two climbed the small set of stairs and entered the bus. Santana's jaw dropped, "Whoa." She looked around to see the bus was furnished with the most elegant accessories possible. On her right, a long couch made up the first quarter of the bus. On her left, there was a small booth-like table and behind that there was a tiny kitchen. Above the fridge, there was a flat screen TV. Brittany plopped herself down on the couch and began flipping through the channels.

"It's pretty nice, huh?"

"Pretty nice? This is better than my apartment."

Brittany laughed at Santana's reactions as she investigated the place. The more she discovered, the more impressed and giddy she became. Cable TV? A mini bar? Wi-Fi? Santana was baffled. She continued further down the bus, past "the common area," as Brittany called it, to the bunks. They were stacked in twos, bunk bed style. Greg was right, they were definitely close quarters. At least each bunk had a curtain so there would be some sense of privacy. Santana claimed a bunk for herself and crawled in, imagining what the new few months would be like sleeping there. It was manageable, she thought.

After she finished scoping the place out, she joined Brittany who was watching some cartoon on the couch. The blonde sat with her arms wrapped around her knees that were brought up to chest. She leaned against the armrest, facing Santana who sat indian style next to her. Realizing she finally had more than a couple of minutes alone with the blonde, Santana didn't waste any time asking some of the questions that had been running through her mind all day.

"So how'd you end up dancing for Pink?" she asked.

"It's kind of a long story..." the blonde started.

"Well we got time, don't we?"

"I guess we do." Brittany's attention shifted from the TV to Santana, "Long or short version?" she asked, uncertain of the girl's interest.

"Long, for sure," Santana replied quickly. She wanted to know as much about the blonde as possible.

Brittany hesitated. It wasn't a story she told in its entirety often...but when she looked up to see Santana smiling softly and patiently, she spilled.

"I guess I just worked my way up. When my parents realized I was planning on making a career out of dancing they cut me off. My dad thinks it's just a hobby...He hates it. He just doesn't understand. He works on Wall Street and he wanted me to follow in his footsteps and pursue business, but there's no way I could ever do that. A job like that is just not for me. And I've seen what the corrupt business world has done to my father over the years..."

Brittany stopped suddenly. Was she really about to tell this girl about her family issues? The blonde was pretty reserved and wasn't used to being the one doing all of the talking...but there was something about Santana that made her feel comfortable. Something that made her feel like Santana was more than just some girl she had met that day.

Santana looked at her with eager eyes and she continued, "Anyway, without their support I wasn't sure if I could make it as a dancer...but there was no way I was gonna give up, especially in spite of my father. So I worked my ass off. I put everything I had into my dancing; in high school I practically lived at the studio and my social life was pretty much nonexistent. In the end it paid off cause I got a scholarship to a dance academy. Fast-forward four years later and after my senior showcase I landed a job at a local dance company. Through some connections from the academy I found out about Pink's auditions. One thing led to another and now I'm here."

"Holy shit," Santana had to focus on keeping her mouth shut. "That's incredible, Britt."

"Thanks," Brittany smiled, liking the sound of her shortened name coming from the brunette sitting next to her. "It's all about who you know, I suppose."

"Well, yeah...but you earned this. You deserve to be here. You know that, right?"

Brittany locked eyes with Santana and saw how much she meant it. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Well don't forget it," Santana smiled and nudged the girl next to her. "What does your dad think about you being on tour?"

"He thinks it's better than working at the dance company, but it's still all a joke to him. He doesn't get how I can make a life out of it."

"Well, you're just gonna have to prove him wrong, won't ya?"

"I plan on it," she smiled. "But enough about that. I have a confession to make."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Santana's eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"I'm kind of having a fan girl moment right now," she said.

"What?" Santana laughed, a little confused.

"Ya know, a moment when you feel a little star struck. I really love your music. I think you're amazing."

"Seriously?" Santana almost shouted. It's not that she didn't believe Brittany, it was just that she wasn't used to having that effect on people. She'd met a few fans since her album was released, but people who were really fans of more than her single were hard to come by.

"Seriously! When I found out you were coming on tour I freaked out a little," she said, blushing a bit. Santana couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's reaction. She was so damn cute.

"Well, thanks. I assume 'Love On The Rocks' is your favorite then? It's usually the only one people know."

"Right, cause of Grey's and everything." Brittany knew her stuff. "Well I like that one, but it's not my favorite. I like Hold My Heart the most."

"Yeah?" Santana's face lit up. "Me too. I guess it's kinda weird to have a favorite of your own songs...but that one means a lot. The record label almost didn't let me put it on the CD. They said it was too depressing or some bullshit like that. I had to fight for it."

"Well, I'm glad you did." Brittany shifted her body position so her knees rested against Santana's.

"Me too." Santana reacted to the blonde's touch and shifted closer.

"I choreographed a dance to it."

"Really?" Santana was amazed. Brittany was gorgeous, funny, talented and she loved her music? This girl was too good to be true.

"Yep. I performed it in a fundraiser show a few months ago. It was pretty great too," the blonde joked. "Maybe I'll show it to you one day."

Santana was about to respond when Brittany's phone buzzed in her pocket.

"Crap, it's Mike. We're gonna be late for sound check. Let's go, San."

The blonde got up and began walking out and Santana followed her like a lost puppy. The only thing on her mind was Brittany's dance to Hold My Heart.

...

Pink's sound check lasted two hours. Santana, Puck and Sam watched and took mental notes as Pink rocked the house. She performed like a professional; she put on her game face and hit every note perfectly while still maintaining her personality. Santana hoped that by the end of the tour, a part of Pink's stage presence could be seen in her own.

During Pink's set, Santana and her band were introduced to Mindy who was their personal tour manager. She referred to herself as the designated "Tour Mom" and explained she'd be in charge of assisting them and scheduling their day-to-day activities. Mindy reminded Santana of an Aunt she never had, someone with a kind heart and a genuine interest in her well being. How did she get so lucky? The more people Santana met the more she had to ask herself that question.

When Mindy left, Pink was playing her song Funhouse. Santana's eyes were immediately drawn to Brittany who was in a new costume, wearing red metallic spandex leggings and a matching top revealing most of her stomach. Santana was mesmerized. The way she moved was so natural. She was completely in sync with the beat of the music, and each movement she made was precise and fluid. It was like she was walking on air, moving effortlessly with rhythm. Santana had never been more turned on in her life.

"Close your mouth, Lopez. You're drooling over there," Puck laughed.

"Shut up," Santana responded quickly, but her eyes never left the blonde. She couldn't muster up anything else to say that would put Puck in his place and she really didn't care. She was too busy watching the blonde roll her body back and fourth, moving along with the other dancers. At one point, Santana swore they made eye contact. Brittany's blue eyes met hers and she smirked like she knew the effect she had over Santana.

...

After Pink and her crew had practiced her set till perfection, it was time to call it a day. Santana didn't realize how exhausted she was until Pink called for one final tour wide meeting. The day of orientation had completely drained her. She practically had to force herself to get up to meet everyone in the middle of the arena for some closing thoughts from Greg. The first show was in three days so he told them all to rest up and meet back here on Friday. It was a quick meeting, and it ended with what Pink described as a "pre-show ritual." They all locked arms and formed a circle around the superstar who gave some words of inspiration. Within a minute she had everyone pumped up and Santana suddenly forgot how tired she was. Similar to a high school cheer, they came together and put one of their hands in the middle. The circle was so large that not everybody's hand could reach the middle, so they settled for placing it on the shoulder of the person in front of them instead.

"Funhouse on three!" Pink yelled. She started the countdown and the mass of people finished the cheer on cue. Santana laughed watching her boys voluntarily participate in something that reminded her so much of her high school cheerleading days. After they said their goodbyes, everyone split and began packing up. Sam and Puck had already gathered their things so they told Santana they'd meet her at the car.

"Hurry up, Lopez!" Puck warned over his shoulder as he left. Santana rolled her eyes and scrambled to her dressing room. As she was frantically collecting her things, she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Hey," Brittany said with a smile and walked in.

"Hey Britt," Santana looked up from her rushed packing and smiled back at the blonde. "You were really great up there."

"You think so?" Brittany asked. Santana swore the blonde was just provoking her to spill about how much she loved her dancing.

"Yeah. You're crazy good."

"Thanks," the blonde smiled.

"I'm sorry, I gotta go though. The boys are waiting. I think Puck's timing me," she joked and slung her backpack over her shoulder. The sound of Brittany's laughter made Santana want to do nothing more than stay with her.

"Oh okay, well I had a lot of fun today. I can't wait for the tour to start."

"Me neither. I'll see ya on Friday," Santana said as she walked past the blonde.

"Wait!" Brittany grabbed the brunette's arm and stopped her before leaving, "Here's my number. I have a feeling we're gonna be friends."

A wide grin spread over Santana's face as she took the piece of paper with Brittany's scribbled number on it. "Me too. See ya later, Britt."

...

Santana met the boys at the car with a smile plastered to her face.

"What are you so giddy about, huh?"

"Oh nothing. I just got her number, that's all."

"You bastard! The tour hasn't even started and you're already getting some."

The three got in the car and began the drive home. Over the next thirty minutes, they talked about what the summer would hold. Puck talked about his expectations with the redhead and Sam boasted that he could get into his girl's pants within a week. The two boys bickered back and forth while Santana remained relatively quite. She had enough going on in her head to keep her occupied. Later, Puck filled Santana in on some of the details she'd missed during the first tour wide meeting. After the two opening shows in LA they were headed to San Jose. Then Phoenix, Dallas, Houston, and so on. It was going to be a four month tour with 60 shows; 35 in North America and 25 in Europe. Split by a two week break, the crew would head overseas in mid-July, which Santana was especially excited for. She'd always wanted to leave the country and she had a feeling that going with this group of people would make it a once in a lifetime experience.

...

When Santana arrived at her apartment, she found she had a new spark of inspiration. With Brittany on her mind, she sat down and began writing. Images of the blonde flew through her mind and she couldn't believe what she was feeling for a girl she'd only known for less than a day. She was so sweet and innocent; two of the qualities Santana wished she could be better aquatinted with. Santana knew she was a little rough on the edges, that's just how she always had been. The more she thought, the more she realized how compatible they would be.

While she wrote, Santana couldn't stop questions about the dancer from flooding her mind. She needed to know more about Brittany. Was she feeling the same? Or was Santana just imagining their chemistry? Why did she give her her number? The questions drove her crazy and she couldn't put her mind to ease. Santana had been sure of her sexuality. Ever since middle school she'd known she was gay. As she commonly would say, the only straight she was was a straight up bitch. But was the blonde? Was she imagining the flirting? Was she just making this into something it wasn't? Santana replayed her encounters with the blonde in her head until she could hear Brittany's voice as clear as day. There was no way she was making up their chemistry. There was _something_ there. It was undeniable.

Twenty minutes later, Santana had written a song she thought was a shoe in for her next record's single. It was called "Someone Like You."


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry it took longer than I hoped to update! I wanted to make sure I had the entire story mapped out before I kept writing. As you can see I made some adjustments. When I posted the first chapter I wasn't completely set on the title but I didn't want to wait to post it...so I just chose Hold My Heart. Now that I've planned the rest of the story, Song For You fits better so I decided to change it.

I also made a change to the schedule of the tour. It's still a four-month tour, but there'll be 60 shows: 35 in North America and 25 in Europe. Split by a two-week break, the crew will head overseas in mid-July.

Songs in this chapter that are said to be written by Santana are actually "Moving Backwards" by Ben Rector and "Let the Rain" by Sara Bareilles.

Feedback is appreciated! Hope you like it!

* * *

><p>Friday, May 4th<p>

Show #1: LA

Santana spent the next couple of days trying to soak up as much of home as possible. She wasn't normally one to get home sick, but she'd never been on the road touring for more than a few days so she didn't know what to expect. Just in case, she decided to do all of the things she knew she'd end up missing. On Wednesday, she and Puck went to their favorite restaurant and bar with their friends from high school. They sang karaoke, drank far too much whiskey and didn't get home until four in the morning. It was exactly the kind of night Santana wanted.

On Thursday, she spent the day in her apartment. It was cozy little place. She couldn't afford anything more, but then again she didn't need much anyway. It was decorated with random pieces of art and other items she had accumulated over the years. Most people never asked for the meaning of any of the decor, but they all agreed that it was so Santana. Knowing she'd miss this place the most, she wanted to make sure she spent her last day home surrounded by the comfort of her apartment. She slept in, watched her favorite movies, lounged around and kept writing. Since she got home from rehearsals, song ideas never stopped popping up in her head. Most of them weren't anything of substance, but she couldn't remember the last time she had written five songs in 24 hours.

Sometime during the day, Santana decided to text Brittany. After all, the girl had given her her number, and Santana had been thinking about her nonstop...so it made sense, right? Santana thought so, and after almost four hours of back and fourth texting, she was glad she did. They talked about packing, the traveling, Pink's badassery, and any other random topic of conversation the blonde thought of. Packing wasn't an issue for Santana like it was for Brittany. Her closet didn't hold much and over the years she was never in the position to be splurging on shopping sprees. Everything fit perfectly into two smaller suitcases and she threw a bunch of other random things and necessities in her backpack.

As the texting went on, Santana couldn't help but read into every message she received from Brittany. Every smiley face, wink face, or exclamation point gave her butterflies. She knew she was analyzing some of the texts way too deeply, but others were blatant flirting. Either way, Santana was on cloud nine. She spent her last night home in her own bed clutching her phone, trying to stay awake just so she could get one more text from this girl who she was convinced was perfect.

...

Puck's mom gave Santana, Sam and her son a ride to the arena on Friday afternoon. The two-door car was filled to the brim with suitcases, bags and whining boys who were crammed in the backseat. Thankfully, they had left their music equipment backstage at rehearsals or else they wouldn't have been able to fit. When they arrived, they went straight to their bus to check in which Greg and get situated. Once they were all unpacked, Greg sent them inside to start preparing for the show.

There were two hours until the concert began. At first, that seemed like plenty of time...but after sound check and hair and makeup, Santana found that she didn't have much time to herself. Her nerves seemed to steadily creep up on her as the hands on the clock moved closer to show time. Over the years, Santana developed her own pre-show warm up that helped put the anxiety to rest. It consisted of drinking green tea and listening to her favorite playlist while reading. Getting lost in a few chapters of fiction or the latest People magazine made her forget that she was nervous to begin with. However, if those three things didn't do the trick, the last part of her routine was taking a shot of tequila with Puck right before taking the stage. That was the guaranteed method to wipe away any fear that was still lingering.

Santana had the outfit for her first performance picked out for a long time. She wanted to look classy and appealing while still staying true to her style. Dressed in black skirt, red heels, a white top, she sat on the couch in her dressing room and flipped through the pages of some trashy tabloid magazine. As she played with her hair that was down and straightened, she heard Mindy yell,

"Fifteen minutes, kiddo!"

Fifteen minutes? Only fifteen minutes? Santana began flipping through the magazine faster in a sudden wave of panic. She sipped her tea and tried to take deep breaths. Why was this happening? She had never felt her nerves turn into panic before. Blaming it on the first night of tour, she continued to focus on her breathing patterns when she heard a knock at the opened door.

"Hi San," Brittany said as she entered the room.

"Hey Britt," Santana smiled as she studied the gorgeous blonde. In the excitement of the day, she had forgotten to find her earlier so this was their first time seeing each other. Santana almost forgot how beautiful the girl really was. As she sat down next to her, Santana could feel her heartbeat quicken.

"Just came to check up on ya. Got the first show jitters?"

"Yeah, actually. It's usually not this bad but I'm feeling it tonight," Santana said. The proof was audible in her voice.

"Here, give me your hand," Brittany offered softly. Santana hesitated for a second, confused by the girl's motive. "Just give me you hand, silly. I won't bite."

Santana laughed and gave in. Brittany took the girl's right hand with both of hers and began to make circles with her thumb over Santana's pressure point between her thumb and index finger.

"My mom taught me this when I was little. She used to do it to me before my dance recitals."

It was in Santana's nature to be skeptical so she couldn't help but narrow her eyes at the blonde.

"Just give it a second, San."

So she did. Santana rested her hand in Brittany's lap and leaned back against the couch. She closed her eyes and waited to feel a difference. Sure enough, within twenty seconds she felt a weighing pressure lift from her neck and a tingling sensation followed down her spine. Santana lost track of time and focused on the circular motion of Brittany's thumb against her hand. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth and sighed; she was finally relaxed.

"Jesus, Britt. That really worked," Santana opened her eyes and flashed a smirk at the blonde.

"Told ya," Brittany said with pride. A knock at the door interrupted their locked gaze. Both girls turned around to see Puck in the doorway.

"Come on, Lopez. I got a shot of tequila with your name on it," he grinned. Santana quickly filled Brittany in on her pre-show regimen before getting up and meeting Puck at the door.

"To not fucking up," he said, raising his shot glass after handing Santana hers.

"To not fucking up," Santana repeated in agreement. They clinked their glasses together and took the shot straight.

"Let's do this thing," Puck said. He turned around, threw his fist in the air and walked out the door leaving both girls laughing at him.

"He's something, that one," Santana shook her head. "But I gotta get out there. See you after?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course," the blonde smiled. "Good luck. I know you'll be great," Brittany said as she threw her arms around the brunette.

It was their first hug, Santana noted, and she loved everything about it. She loved how it caught her off guard, she loved how Brittany's height made it easy for the blonde to wrap her arms around her, she loved how Brittany smelled of strawberries and shampoo and she loved that it was real. It wasn't one of those hugs you half-heartedly give to someone when you're in a rush or when you simply don't care. It was the exact opposite.

"Thanks," Santana said with a newfound energy as she pulled away. Brittany smiled and nodded,

"Go get 'em. See ya after."

...

Santana met Puck, Sam and Mindy on the side of the stage. Puck had his guitar slung around his back and Sam was nervously patting his drumsticks against his leg. Santana smiled at the sight of her boys who had cleaned up for the first show. Puck was wearing jeans and a plaid button down while Sam rocked a black polo and jeans. Upon her arrival, the three put there arms around each other and huddled up like they usually did before shows.

"Alright, this is it. Let's just pretend we're back at the Cafe, okay?" Santana said, referring to the small venue at home they had played a million times before. The boys nodded in agreement.

"Time to go, guys!" Mindy broke up their little pow-wow and shuffled them out on stage as the lights dimmed.

Her microphone was about fifty feet away, but in that moment it felt like it was a mile. Santana walked confidently and waved to the audience who was now on their feet, welcoming her and her band to the stage. It wasn't until she reached her piano when she truly looked at the crowd.

Every seat was filled, cameras were flashing, people were screaming and her knees were shaking. She had imagined what a sold out arena would look like during rehearsals, but this didn't even compare. Santana paused for a second as her brain processed the fact that tens of thousands of people had their eyes glued to her, just waiting on her every move. She could feel panic rising in her gut so she glanced at Puck for relief. The look on his face instantly made her laugh; it was pure joy and disbelief. He gave her a quick thumbs up and the panic settled.

"Hi everyone! Wow, this is crazy," she couldn't help but state the obvious. "I'm Santana Lopez and I'm gonna play a few songs with you if that's okay." The crowd roared louder which only made her more comfortable.

"I'll take that as a yes," she grinned and continued, "This one's called Love On The Rocks." The three decided a long time ago that it was best to open with her single. That way people who didn't know who she was would be able to put a face to that song they'd heard on Grey's or once on the radio.

Santana's fingers glided along the black and whites effortlessly and as she sung the first verse, the life of the crowd fueled her voice to become stronger. She wasn't even a quarter of the way into the song and she could already tell she was becoming addicted to this feeling. The energy that the massive volumes of people in the stands were providing was unlike anything she'd ever experienced at her past shows.

When she reached the second chorus she realized some of the crowd was singing along. Not everyone, of course, but enough people were chiming in that she could hear them echoing her own voice. She couldn't believe the audience knew the words at the first show. For years she'd dreamt about performing for a crowd that would be able sing a chorus of her song entirely on their own. At her first show she got a taste of that dream and it only made her crave more. When she finished Love On The Rocks, she transitioned into her first cover.

"I know you guys know this one so let me hear you!" she said in between songs as she began playing the opening notes to Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You."

From that moment on, she had the crowd hooked. She had them enchanted with her flawless vocals and keen sense of humor. As she sang the chorus of "Fuck You" she couldn't help but smile as she watched the sea of people dance to her band's rendition of the hit song. She glanced at Brittany who was laughing in awe at the side of the stage and then at Puck and Sam who looked like two boys in a candy shop. They were eating up the crowd's reaction and Santana didn't want the song to end. But when it did, she bantered with the audience for a bit, making them laugh with her witty remarks and natural stage presence. For their next song, she slowed down the tempo and began playing "Hold My Heart." The sauntering piano and emotional vocals left the venue silent in amazement.

After her personal favorite, she played another original called "Moving Backwards," then a cover of Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory" and finally, she wrapped up her set with an upbeat original called "Let The Rain." When she finished the last line of the song, the crowd gave her a standing ovation. An overwhelming sense of satisfaction swept over her and she immediately began counting down the hours until she got to be on stage again.

"Thank you so much!" she said as Puck and Sam made their way next to her. "I can't tell you how much this night meant to me. Again I'm Santana Lopez and if anyone's interested I'll be hanging out at my merch table after this so come say hi! Up next is Artie Abrams and then Pink! Enjoy the show!"

The three took a bow and headed backstage, relishing in the crowd's lingering applause.

...

Santana felt high from her performance for the rest of the night. The adrenaline from her set never really went away and as soon as she walked off stage, Pink was the first person to greet her.

"Holy shit! You guys killed it!" she said after giving Santana another bear hug.

"Thanks! Oh my god...I, I can't even explain how awesome that was," she replied, fumbling to find the right words.

"Seriously. I could get used to this!" Puck chimed in.

They laughed at his wide-eyed grin and continued talking about the ultimate six-song set they just performed. After a couple of minutes, Pink pulled Santana aside and asked if she'd be interested in singing "Fucking Perfect" with her as the encore of the show. Stunned, it only took Santana half a second to agree. Pink asked if she knew the words and Santana told her she definitely did. That song was one of her favorites of all time. She laughed to herself at the irony of the situation as she remembered how she used to belt the song in the car while pretending she was singing it live in concert. Relieved and excited, Pink said to be ready backstage after her last song of her regular set which would be "So What."

Brittany was the next person to greet Santana, and if it was possible, the blonde was more excited than she was. Their reunion didn't last long since Brittany had to meet the dancers for warms up and Santana had to see if any fans would take her up on her offer, but they decided to meet in Santana's dressing room after where Brittany would get ready.

Santana was surprised to see about twenty people waiting for her when she arrived at her merch table. A tour staff member was manning the table, selling the two t-shirts, key chains and CDs that made up her merchandise. Puck and Sam joined her and together they signed autographs, took pictures, and talked to each person individually, trying to make as many connections as possible. As a struggling artist, Santana understood the importance of establishing a strong fan base. She made a promise to herself that she would always make time for her fans. Each show she'd try to meet as many as possible, starting with the first night.

Once the group of people dwindled down to none, Santana quickly returned to her dressing room. As she walked back through the hallways of the arena, Santana could hear Artie singing his cover of "Safety Dance." She briefly stopped to watch the animated boy moon walk and flip across the stage. He had the crowd wonderstruck with his dance moves and half of the girls watching had their jaws dropped to the ground. After Artie would finish his set, the crew would still have to set up the stage for Pink. Santana estimated that she'd have about an hour with Brittany before she'd have to go perform herself.

When she finally made it to her dressing room, the blonde was standing in front of the mirror touching up her make up that was just done by the stylists. At first, Brittany didn't notice Santana's presence. Shamelessly, Santana stood in the doorway and took the opportunity to check her out. Honestly, it was hard not to when she was in custom. Santana decided her outfit could be best described as a sexy circus conductor. The dancer was wearing blue spandex that could barely be considered shorts. Santana smirked as her eyes scanned her long legs from top to bottom. She was wearing a sparkly white tank top under a skimpy blue blazer that was lined with gold jewels. Santana cleared her throat in an attempt to return to reality from her thoughts that were quickly turning dirty. She entered the room and sat in the chair next to Brittany.

"I hate how much makeup they put on me," Brittany said, acknowledging Santana while still focusing on her reflection. "I know the Funhouse Tour has a circus theme or whatever...but they're seriously trying to make me look like a clown." Santana chuckled at the girl's comment as she watched her continue to mess with her cover up and mascara.

"Well, I think you look beautiful," she said, not even realizing she had spoken aloud.

The blonde turned to look at Santana and when her eyes meet Brittany's, she immediately registered the fact that she had said what she was thinking out loud. A pit formed in Santana's stomach and she began to regret not being able to hold her tongue. She held her breath as she waited for any kind of reaction from the blonde. Brittany's blank face turn red with blush and she smiled as she returned to face the mirror. Santana smiled back in relief; she had obviously charmed her.

"Well, thanks, San," she said. After a few more seconds of staring at herself in the mirror, Brittany put down the mascara and moved to the couch. Santana followed and the girls spent the next thirty minutes or so mimicking her pre-show routine. Since Brittany didn't really have one, she adapted Santana's since she found it calmed her too. They read magazines, laughed at the ridiculous stories and listened to Brittany's favorite music. Santana was amazed at the blonde's composure. She showed no signs of nervousness or anxiety, her confidence shown through without her even trying. Santana admired this about her and couldn't help but fall a little bit more for Brittany.

...

"Come on Britt, let's go! We're meeting now!" Mike said, startling them both. He was gone as soon as he appeared. The two got up simultaneously and Brittany went to look at herself in the mirror one last time.

"Show time," Brittany said, nodding as if she needed to assure herself she was ready. She turned around to see Santana leaning against the door, watching her with an adoring smile.

"You're gonna be great," Santana said.

"Come on, Britt!" This time it was another dancer who was beckoning the blonde and she ran by the dressing room.

"Coming!" she replied. Brittany gave Santana a hug, squeezing tight to make up for the quickness of the embrace. "Thanks, San. I'll see ya after!"

And just like that she was gone. Santana stepped out of the dressing room and watched her run to catch up with Mike and the others. There were about five minutes until Pink took the stage so Santana went to get Puck and Sam so they wouldn't miss anything. Escorted by a security guard, they were directed to the area of the floor where the crew was allowed to watch the show.

Right on time, the lights dimmed and the curtains opened. A spotlight shown on Pink's guitarist who began playing the chords to "Raise Your Glass." Within seconds, the place erupted with deafening cheers. It was the perfect song to kick off her set. Pink's silhouette emerged from the center of the stage, which only made the crowd's screams louder. Just as she began singing, the stage illuminated with light and pyrotechnics. Santana gaped in awe as Pink began working the crowd. Filing in one by one, the dancers were all on stage and dancing in sync around Pink by the time the first chorus hit.

For the next hour and a half, Santana and the boys watched Pink, her band and her dancers perform with an intoxicating mix of energy, passion and perfection. Santana's eyes alternated from Pink and Brittany the entire time. Song after song, Pink wooed the audience with her stellar vocals and genuine personality. She wasn't like most performers these days; Pink had a very unique way of staying 100% true to herself on stage while still giving a performance of a lifetime.

As soon as Pink started playing "So What," Santana and the boys made their way backstage so she could prepare for her encore performance with the superstar. It wasn't until Pink and the dancers came running off stage that the familiar wave of panic came crashing over Santana.

"Are ya ready?" Pink yelled in her direction, trying to speak over the roaring crowd that was chanting her name. Pink's hair and makeup team swarmed around her and began touching her up. "We're gonna wait a few minutes just to add to the anticipation...then we'll get out there!"

Santana nodded her head, unable to speak due to the fear that controlled her body. Distracted with her own anxiety, she zoned out and didn't even notice Brittany sneak up next to her. The blonde grabbed her hand and began circling her thumb around the pressure point like she had a few hours before.

"Relaxxx," she said softly, just loud enough so only Santana could hear.

"I don't know why this is happening. I swear I'm never this bad, Britt."

"Hey, it's okay," she said, hearing the panic increase in Santana's voice. "No one blames you, the first night is the worst with this stuff. You're gonna be awesome, there's no need to be nervous. Pink will make you feel really comfortable."

Santana simply nodded. In a room full of other people, Santana's eyes found Brittany's and everything else disappeared.

"Once you get out there it'll be fine. Your voice is going to sound great with this song. And the crowd already loves you, remember?"

Slowly but surely, Santana's nerves began to evaporate with every word Brittany said. She smiled and the blonde and adjusted her hand so it was now intertwined with Brittany's.

"Thanks, Britt. I don't know what I would've done without you today."

The blonde smiled back and she blushed just like she did earlier. Before she could say anything, Pink approached and interrupted.

"Alright, Santana, here's your microphone," she said, handing her the mic. "I'll start the song by myself and you come out and join me at the first chorus. We'll sing the choruses together, you sing the back up on the verses, and then you take the bridge solo. Deal?"

"Deal," Santana said.

"Since it's the last song, the whole crew will join us at the end for the final bow. Make sure you tell your boys to get their asses out there!" Pink said with excitement as she turned to take the stage. The lights rose and the arena exploded with even louder cheers as Pink returned. Before starting the song, she chatted with the audience. She thanked them for coming and praised them on being the best crowd she could ask for on the opening night of tour.

The music started and from backstage Santana could hear Pink sing the first lines of the song. She found Puck and Sam within the crowd of dancers and filled them in on the finale. By the time she made her way to back to the side of the stage, the chorus was about to start. Brittany gave her a quick smile and squeezed her arm for encouragement. Santana smiled back and felt a surge of confidence flow through her as she walked out to join Pink center stage. Her voice perfectly complemented the superstar's and they sang the chorus with their arms around each other in front of the arena that was singing every word with them.

By the time the bridge rolled along, Pink's dancers and crew had made their way on stage. Together, they formed a line next to Pink and Santana, singing along and waving to the crowd. Right when Santana was about to belt the highest and longest note of the song, she glanced to her left to see Brittany next to her. The blonde grabbed her hand and Santana never felt more comfortable on stage in her life. It was so easy to lose herself in the words of the song when she was looking at Brittany. It was like she was singing just to her. Santana hit the notes flawlessly and everyone in the venue applauded, even Pink.

They finished the song together and by the time it was over, there wasn't a person in the venue that was sitting down. Everyone was on their feet, cheering for more. Pink thanked them again, and the line of performers and crew on stage put their arms around each other and bowed one final time. They waved goodbye as they walked off stage with a jump in their step. With her hand still locked with Brittany's and her other arm slung around Puck's shoulder, Santana was filled with a feeling of possibility.

...

After they had all come down from the adrenaline rush from the show, they had to celebrate. Everything had gone better then Santana thought was possible so a celebration only seemed necessary. Puck had heard about this club that was close by, so after showering, getting ready, and going on a quick alcohol run, he assembled a group of people who were down for going out. Determined to make Brittany notice her, Santana decided to wear her favorite outfit: skinny jeans, black heels and a very revealing red top.

"Ohhhh, I see the twins are out to play tonight!" Puck said upon seeing her outfit.

"Shut your mouth, Puckerman!" she replied, giving him a punch on the shoulder.

"Aye mami, I'm just saying…you're lookin' pretty hot tonight."

"Well thanks perv," Santana joked. "Now let's go. They're probably waiting on us."

Santana led the two boys out of their bus and to the dancers' bus. When they arrived, Mike, Brittany, Artie, the redhead Courtney and the other blonde Erin all had drinks in their hands and were on their way to having a good night. Brittany's eyes instantly found Santana's and they both smiled. Santana noticed the blonde wearing a little black dress that perfectly brought out her curves. She tried hard not to stare but she didn't need to since she could feel the blonde's eyes all over her, which filled her with immense satisfaction. It didn't take long for Santana, Sam and Puck to join the party and within minutes, the three had finished their first drink and were on to their second.

Artie was the designated DJ, flipping through his iPod and picking songs to dictate the tempo of the room. After about an hour of dancing, mingling and heavy drinking, the group was ready to hit the club. Santana noticed that she was already pretty drunk but when she looked around, she realized she wasn't alone. Brittany and Sam seemed to be around the same level of intoxication as she was, but everyone else seemed to be worse. It was obvious the night was going to be a shit show.

…

They took two cabs and once they arrived, they immediately ordered drinks and claimed the area with the booth in the corner of the club. For a while, they sat and talked, sipping their drinks and letting the alcohol take effect. One by one, people seemed to get up and make their way to the dance floor; starting with Artie who was dragged out of the booth by a girl who recognized him from the show. Next to go were Sam and Erin who had been flirting back and fourth since their first drink on the bus. Then Mike finally got enough courage to dance with the girl he had his eyes on all night. Eventually, Courtney forced herself to join the mass of people on the dance floor just so she could escape Puck and the three girls who were all over him in the booth. It was obvious she was jealous, so in an attempt to get his attention she started promiscuously dancing with the first guy she saw.

Feeling more than tipsy, Santana was content sitting in the booth and observing her friends. For a couple of minutes, Santana lost track of Brittany who she had been keeping tabs on since they got there. Scanning the club, she finally spotted the blonde dancing by herself. People surrounded her but that didn't stop her from creating her own space. A couple of guys tried to make a move on her, but she ignored them and continued to dance in her own world.

The mix of alcohol and the fact that Brittany dancing in this environment was twenty times hotter than when she was on stage seemed to hypnotize Santana. For a couple of songs, Santana let her eyes roam over every inch of the blonde. The way her body moved and rolled to the music drove her crazy. A sudden and unexplainable heat spread through her as Santana continued to sip her second or third drink. They made eye contact a few times, and once Brittany saw the effect she was having over Santana, she only flaunted her body more.

Brittany hoped that Santana would come join her, but when she didn't, Brittany met her at the booth. She sat down and slid very closely next to Santana and stole a sip from her drink since she'd finished hers a few songs ago.

"I thought you would come dance with me," Brittany said in Santana's ear. As the blonde leaned closer, a smell of strawberries mixed with sweat took over her senses. Santana was so turned on she swore if Brittany even touched her she would melt.

"I, I'm not that good at dancing..." Santana said, averting her eyes from Brittany's blues.

"Oh, please. I'm sure that's not true," she insisted.

"No, really. You're way better than me and I don't think…"

"San, I don't care about that," Brittany interrupted. She looked at her with pleading eyes as she asked, "Will you dance with me?"

"Britt…I don't know, I'm really not a dancer," Santana persisted. As much as she wanted to dance with the blonde, her level of intoxication heightened her sense of self-consciousness. She didn't want to embarrass herself with a dancer of such skill.

"Santana, I don't care. I just want you," she whispered in her ear. Her voice was raspy with desire and that was all it took for Santana to agree.

As Brittany took Santana's hand and pulled her to the dance floor, Santana spotted all of their friends and noticed they were too busy with their pursuits too notice the obvious sexual tension between the her and Brittany. When the blonde picked a spot to dance she threw her hands around Santana and began to rock back and fourth to the beat. Brittany took the lead with her strong hands dictating their movements. Santana was relieved and she quickly loosened up and began to enjoy herself. She ran her hands down the blonde's waist and admired her figure. Her touch seemed to ignite a spark in Brittany as her breath became heavy and goose bumps traveled down her arms.

They continued dancing and Santana couldn't help but wonder how much of their actions were influenced by the several drinks they had earlier. When Brittany turned around and slowly started grinding against her, Santana thought she might lose it. The friction between their bodies was almost too much for her to handle. As soon as Brittany repositioned herself and put her arms back around Santana's neck, Santana couldn't contain herself any longer. She delicately placed her hand on Brittany's cheek and then made her move. Their lips crashed together in a passionate fury. Santana's lips moved slowly at first until she could gauge Brittany's reaction. Once the blonde responded by pulling her closer and opening her mouth wider, Santana let her tongue roam free without holding anything back.

Their lips moved in sync, only separating for much needed gasps of air until Brittany pulled away abruptly. Santana's eyes were still closed but when they opened she saw a light bulb go off in the blonde's head. Suddenly they were both feeling very sober.

"God, I'm so sorry Santana. I-I, I gotta go get some air," she said as she quickly made her way through the sea of people and out the front door. Santana followed, confused and worried she'd been too aggressive. When she caught up with Brittany, she was halfway down the block, pacing back and fourth.

"Brittany, listen, I'm sorry if I did anything wrong or anything you didn't want...I thought you were okay with it..." Santana said as she studied the blonde. She tried to get a read on her but it was difficult. Brittany was obviously flustered, but not upset. If anything she just looked confused.

"No, Santana, I'm the one who's sorry. I need to tell you something," she said as she picked her head up to make eye contact with Santana.

"Okay…what is it?" Santana replied, more nervous now than before.

"I'm kind of seeing someone," Brittany said softly, breaking eye contact.

"Kind of seeing someone?" Santana pressed on. Before she could let herself get angry she wanted to hear Brittany out.

"Yes...his name's Adam. I should have told you sooner and I'm really sorry but I've never felt this way before...I just, I don't know what to do," tears began to fill Brittany's eyes as she struggled to convey the right words to Santana.

"Hey, hey, don't get upset. It's okay," the brunette replied, trying to calm Brittany down. At that moment she didn't know what to feel. She was disappointed, drunk, and a little let down but at the same time she didn't feel rejected. Brittany admitted that she'd never felt this way before and Santana was feeling the same. So all hope wasn't lost, right? And at least she was telling the truth. "Thanks for being honest, I guess."

Brittany was relieved Santana wasn't mad but she still had an unsettled look on her face. Still flustered, she stuttered as she continued talking,

"I, I don't want things to be weird between us. I r-really like you, San. I'm sorry, I just..."

"Brittany, it's okay," Santana interrupted her rambling as she rested her hand on the blonde's shoulder. God, she was so cute, even when she was upset. Santana didn't want anything to change between them either. All she wanted to do was assure Brittany that that wouldn't happen. "Things won't be weird, I promise. We just won't do _that _anymore, okay?"

Brittany nodded and wiped away any tears that escaped her blue eyes. At that moment, Santana spotted the rest of the crew stumble out of the club.

"Come on, B, let's go."

The two walked side by side to catch up with their friends who were getting a couple of cabs. On the drive home, Santana's mind was filled with thoughts of Brittany. Even though the night hadn't turn out like she hoped, a few good things did come out of it. Santana now knew that Brittany "really liked her," in her exact words. She also found out that she made Brittany feel like she never has before. Santana took those two pieces of information as victories and she kept repeating to herself that hope wasn't lost.

As far as Santana was concerned, all she needed was time. The more she thought the more she realized this four-month summer tour provided just that. Santana wasn't going to give up that easily; she was up for the challenge of winning Brittany's heart.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks to those who left reviews! They're much appreciated. Here's the next chapter. No new songs are introduced in this one but if you haven't checked out the others yet you definitely should. I'm finding one of the perks to writing is being able incorporate some of your favorite songs. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, May 5th<strong>  
><strong>Show #2: LA<strong>

Santana awoke the next morning to the sound of Puck falling out of his top bunk.

"Aw, fuck!" was all she heard after a loud thud. She shook the sleep away, rolled over and peered out from behind the curtain of her bunk to see him sprawled out on the floor. Despite her half-awake state, she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of an ailing Puck who was probably still drunk. The boy moaned as he got up and ran to the bathroom. Santana closed the curtain, rolled back over and tried to return to her dreams. As soon as her eyes were at their heaviest, Puck flung open the drapery and plopped down at the edge of her bed.

"That was a crazy ass night, huh?" Puck said, grinning widely while shaking his head. Santana could only imagine what scene from the night he was replaying in his mind.

"Puckerman, it's nine AM. I'm not nearly ready to have this conversation with you," Santana said as she felt the start of a headache pounding against her temple.

"Man, it was crazy," he continued, ignoring the girl.

"Seriously!" Santana and Puck looked up at the same time to see Sam popping his head out from the bunk above them. "That was fucking crazy."

"Crazy!" Puck echoed for effect.

"You two idiots go back to bed. Let me sleep," she persisted, nudging Puck off her bunk.

"Fine sass-a-frass." Both of the boys returned to their bunks and Santana swore she could hear Puck snoring three minutes later.

Santana fell back asleep easily and by the time she managed to force herself out of bed it was 2 o'clock. She stumbled to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. The reflection in the mirror made her cringe; she looked like hell. Hungover was a polite way to describe her appearance and she suddenly found herself desperately craving a shower. The one on the tour bus was about half the size of a closet, but in that moment she really didn't care. Santana jumped in and immersed herself in steaming hot water. The pressure from the nozzle seemed to beat the toxins out of her and she let the water wash away the grimy feeling that the alcohol had left her.

"Ready for words, sunshine?" Puck asked with a sarcastic smile as Santana emerged from the bathroom wearing ripped jeans and a worn t-shirt.

"Yes, yes. Spill," Santana said reluctantly. She knew Puck too well and one of his favorite things to do was talk about his previous night's activities the day after.

Over the next half hour, Puck's story only confirmed that fact that he was the definition of a player. Throughout the course of the evening, he had managed to get the numbers of five girls while making out with two completely different ones. He smirked with pride as he talked of his ventures while Sam chuckled in encouragement.

"What about Courtney? I think she really likes you," Santana said.

"Courtney? Yeah she's okay I guess. There are a lot more fish in the sea, though. Everyone wants a piece, Lopez. Just doing my part," he said which made Sam laugh even harder. Santana rolled her eyes. He was hopeless.

"What about you, Sam? You seemed pretty into Erin. Did you, in fact, get in her pants?" Santana asked, remembering the bet he made with Puck during their first tour rehearsals.

"No…" Sam suddenly became a little shy.

"What's wrong wittle Sammy? Too much of a pussy to make the move?" Puck mocked.

"Shut up, dude. It's not like that," he defended. Santana glanced at the blonde boy who was becoming redder by the second. All at once it became clear that Sam actually cared about the girl. Santana could tell that he didn't want to talk about it with Puck who would only continue to give him a hard time, so she decided to change the subject.

"Well Puck, at the rate your racking in the numbers I'm guessing you're gonna need to get a new memory card by the time this tour is over."

"We'll see! Hey, what about you and Brittany? I don't even remember seeing you guys last night. Then again I don't remember a lot of things…" he said, scratching his head.

"It's complicated," Santana sighed.

"Care to elaborate?" Puck responded.

"Eh, maybe later. Let's go get some food. I'm starved."

It was true; she really didn't want to elaborate. She hadn't thought of their encounter since she fell asleep replaying it in her head. All she wanted to do was have some peace and quiet in her mind for at least a little bit longer. The headache she was battling raged on as the three headed out of the bus and down to a burger place a few blocks away.

…

When they returned it was around 5 o'clock. Santana and the boys immediately reported to Mindy for sound check. The practice would last a little bit longer than usual because Santana was planning on playing "Someone Like You" for the first time at tonight's show. Before taking the stage, she talked to Greg and asked if it would be okay if they included an extra song in their set. Hesitant at first, he eventually agreed due to Santana's impressive persuasive skills and the fact that he was starting to grow fond of the spunky and determined brunette.

Since she had just written "Someone Like You" earlier in the week, she and the band had never played it live before. It seemed to be the song of firsts since she and Puck decided he should sing back up vocals on the track, which was something he had never done before. He had a pretty decent voice and as his rough vocals perfectly complemented hers, Santana felt stupid for not noticing it sooner. Another first was the fact that this song was written for the guitar. Since the guitar wasn't her first instrument, she had to play it several times before she felt totally comfortable with it. They rehearsed it so many times that Santana's fingers turned numb and the hooks rang in her head even when she wasn't singing it. Finally satisfied, they called it quits and headed backstage to get ready.

When Santana made it to her dressing room, Brittany was laying on the couch reading a new magazine. Just before entering, Santana prepared herself anything. She had no idea how Brittany was going to act with it being the first time they'd seen each other since they had kissed.

"Hey San!" she said, lighting up as Santana walked in the room. She sat up and continued, "I picked up some more magazines. I figured we'd need 'em since went through those other ones pretty quick yesterday."

"Good call, Britt," Santana replied with a smile as she joined her on the couch.

Any worry Santana had about facing the potential awkwardness with the blonde completely vanished after seeing her in person. Things weren't weird at all. Both of the girls seemed to be completely infatuated with each other's presence as they tore through the new magazines and chatted back and fourth effortlessly. Santana made sure to keep her eyes and hands in check; she didn't want to cross any lines with wandering looks or lingering touches. She decided that she was going to let Brittany dictate their relationship. Afraid she'd stir trouble, Santana promised herself she wouldn't do anything unless Brittany did it first so she knew it was okay.

An hour or so went by and Santana found out that if she wanted, she could give Brittany a hand massage, tell her she liked her hair down, or even rest her head in Brittany's lap. Playing it slow, she didn't do any of those things like the blonde had, but she went along with it all. Besides a strict conscience in her head, Santana's pre-show routine was almost the exact same as it was the night before. Almost because she found she wasn't nearly as nervous. Having the first show in the past did wonders for her anxiety and she basked in the luxury of not feeling sick with nerves.

Before leaving for her set, Santana threw on a nicer top and heels to spruce up her outfit a bit. Brittany walked her backstage to where Puck and Sam were waiting with a shot of tequila. Santana couldn't help but smirk at the sight of the boys who had dressed up again for the occasion. She didn't think she could ever get sick of that. Or the shots of tequila.

The band huddled together at the side of the stage and this time they didn't need words of encouragement to ease their fear. This time, Puck took care of the motivation with a few simple words and a couple of F bombs. The three laughed at his pathetic yet effective speech as the lights dimmed and Mindy called their names. Santana smiled at Brittany before walking away and as she turned around the blonde playfully slapped her ass. There wasn't time for Santana to read into the gesture but couldn't stop her cheeks from turning hot with blush as she made her way to the piano.

…

Her now seven-song set went extraordinarily well. The newfound comfort level she had discovered after her first show seemed to make everything go a bit smoother. The transitions between songs felt less forced and Santana created a chemistry with the crowd that took the energy in the arena to the next level. Not to mention with Puck's additional vocals, each song had a new and unique twist to it that Santana loved.

After she finished "Let The Rain," a member of the stage crew came running out to hand Santana her guitar. A surge of anxiety flew through her body as she approached the mic stand with nothing but the new instrument. Santana felt defenseless without her piano that usually acted as some sort of shield or barrier separating her from the rowdy crowd. Breathing deeply, she took a step forward and faced her fear head on knowing it could only get better from here.

"Alright everyone, this is a brand new song. Brand new as in I wrote it just a couple of days ago. This is our first time playing it in front of anyone so be nice to us please! It's called 'Someone Like You,' hope you like it!"

Sam clapped his drumsticks together counting up to three, signaling the start of the song. Santana found the rhythm quickly as she fell into a steady pattern of strumming back and fourth against the strings. Her death grip on the pick gradually loosened and when she reached the first chorus, she smiled out of the corner of her mouth as she heard Puck chiming in along with her. Santana couldn't deny that they sounded pretty amazing, and based off the crowd's reaction, they thought so too. Some danced, some clapped, but everyone listened and that was what Santana appreciated the most.

As she sang the last line of the song, the audience's applause filled her with gratitude. Just like the night before, she thanked them and said they'd be out at the merch table if anyone was interested. Puck and Sam appeared by her side and they bowed together after Santana thanked the crowd one last time.

The rest of the night felt like someone had taken a remote and pressed fast-forward. Santana met and mingled with fans for a little bit longer than she'd done the night before. A few familiar faces from the Café showed up and Santana lost track of time as she chatted with the fans from home. She watched some of Artie's set and then returned to her dressing room to find Brittany getting ready with Erin and Courtney. Santana was a bit taken aback by the presence of the other girls at first. Selfishly, she wanted Brittany all to herself.

Reluctantly, she joined in on their conversation and convinced herself that this could be a good chance to get to know the two girls. By the time the three dancers left to take the stage, Santana was glad she got to spend some time with them. She understood why Sam liked Erin. The shorter blonde was cute, witty, and a bit bossy which Santana knew only made Sam like her more. Courtney was hopelessly crazy about Puck, even though he frustrated her to no end. Santana made a note to herself that she might want to warn the girl about her friend's antics before she got too hung up on him. Noah Puckerman wasn't going to change his ways over night.

After parting with the dancers, Santana found Sam and Puck and the three made their way to their designated spot on the floor to watch Pink's set. Darkness enveloped the stage and the crowds' screams echoed in the arena. Just like the night before, Pink's presence combined with the exploding lights and opening chords to "Raise Your Glass" sent the crowd to a new high. Santana watched as Pink transformed into a powerhouse right before her eyes. The thousands of wild fans seemed to charge her with energy and she glowed with as she sang her classics like "Get the Party Started" and "Don't Let Me Get Me."

Even though Santana had just seen the star perform the exact same routine 24 hours before, it felt like she was seeing it for the first time. Each song Pink sang seemed better than the last and by the time she got to "So What," Santana was backstage ready for the encore. Joining Pink for "Fucking Perfect" became the highlight of her night and as she made her way to the center of the stage, Santana poured everything she hand into the chorus. Her voice was full of sincerity and it sounded stronger then ever harmonizing with Pink's beautiful and confident vocals.

As soon as the bridge hit and Santana began belting her favorite part of the song, she felt familiar fingers slide in-between hers. She didn't even have to look to know it was Brittany. When she did anyway, she saw the blonde gazing her way with those gorgeous blue eyes. No matter how cliché it may have been, she couldn't help but think how fucking perfect she was.

As Santana packed up her backpack in her dressing room, she prepared herself for the first night of travel. The opening two shows in LA served as the best and most convenient way to kick off the summer, but it was time to start the real tour life; the exhausting and non-stop traveling tour life. Their next show was in San Jose, which was six hours away. Usually they would travel on their off day, but the tour started off with three consecutive shows in a row which meant they'd have to make the drive overnight.

Despite the tour bus limitations, Puck and Sam were ready to party. When Santana returned to the bus, she found the two boys preparing drinks with Artie in the tiny kitchen. Unlike the night before, Santana was in no mood to celebrate. Well, not in that way at least. There was still a lot to celebrate and Santana couldn't believe she was still soaring on cloud nine. With the excitement from the show wearing off, she could feel her headache creeping back to irritate her. Adding alcohol to the mix would only make it worse so instead, she changed into some sweats and an old tshirt, grabbed some goldfish from the stocked pantry, turned on the TV and parked it on the couch.

The fleet of vehicles was set to leave in fifteen minutes and since the bus of losers (as Puck kindly called it) was not up for joining in the festivities, the boys headed over to the dancers' bus where the drinks were already flowing. The other girls that Santana had shared the bus with went straight to bed. They apologized for being lame but apparently they had gone out the night before too and wanted nothing more than to catch up on some sleep.

Just as the bus driver, who Santana learned to call Buddy, was shifting gears into drive, they both heard a faint knock on the door. Buddy pulled down on the lever that swung the doors open and Brittany snuck up the stairs. Santana felt her heart tighten as the blonde thanked the driver and made her way over to the couch.

"I heard you weren't drinking tonight either," she said, sitting down. "They're really loud over there…is it okay if I stay here?"

Santana laughed to herself as she realized what the girl had just done. Even if she wanted to say no, it was too late. The bus was already in motion and there was no way they would detour from the strict traveling schedule to stop just for Brittany.

"Sure, B," Santana said as she smiled and threw part of her blanket over the dancer's legs.

For a while, the two sat and watched Friends reruns. They were both big fans of the show and Brittany had seen every episode at least three times. Curled up on the couch, the two laughed and chatted back and fourth about their favorite episodes until the program changed to a show that lost their interest.

Looking for a new topic of conversation, Santana asked the blonde to tell her about home, which for her was New York. One thing led to another and Brittany ended up telling Santana everything. From her high school days to her unsupportive jackass of a father, Santana heard it all. She even heard a little about Adam. Not much of course, since the topic of her crush's significant other was a touchy subject. But nonetheless, Santana learned enough to know that their relationship was rocky at best. They had been dating on and off for four years, but lately it had been worse.

"He's happy that I'm dancing but he blames me for our problems because I'm busy all the time. I don't know, sometimes he doesn't see things from my perspective. He's angry that I'm going to be gone for so long," Brittany explained.

She went on about some of their issues and Santana felt herself split down the middle. Part of her wanted to revel in the fact that the blonde wasn't planning on getting hitched anytime soon…and the other part was boiling with anger thinking about how anyone could treat Brittany less than she deserved. Santana turned and faced the blonde so they now were both sitting indian style on the couch. She didn't really know what to say. Given what Brittany had just told her and what she could interpret from body language, it was obvious that Adam was an asshole. Santana was afraid that if she opened her mouth to say anything that she'd end up ripping this guy apart, and she didn't need a reason for Brittany to be mad at her. So instead, she simply nodded in understanding as the blonde continued to spill.

"I even got him tickets to the past two shows but he didn't show up." Santana could hear Brittany's voice change mid-sentence and she saw the blonde's eyes turn glassy. As Santana watched Brittany fight back tears, she pieced together the dancer's story: Brittany was settling for something that was familiar, but ultimately not right for her. Santana could tell that the blonde had gotten so used to Adam and his selfish ways because she didn't know anything else.

Santana couldn't stand to see her in this fragile condition so she tried to lighten the mood.

"What an asshole," she said. Brittany laughed softly and nodded. It was clear she didn't want to talk about it anymore, and that was more than fine with Santana.

"Come on, let's go lay down," Santana paused as a yawn escaped her. "This couch is getting uncomfortable and my bunk is big enough for the two of us." Brittany smiled in agreement and the girls made their way back to her bunk. The blonde crawled in first and Santana followed, closing the curtains behind her. Thankfully, there was no need to worry about waking up her fellow bunkmates because the speeding bus created enough noise to ensure their whispers wouldn't be heard.

"So now it's your turn. You tell me about home," Brittany said, rolling on her side. Santana lay on her back and sighed.

"Fair enough," she replied.

Santana began with high school. She spoke of her glory days of cheerleading, her love for the glee club, her unwavering friendship with Puck and her crumbling relationship with her mother. Her mom was something Santana avoided talking about, but laying there with Brittany the words just kept coming out like an overflowing sink.

Before she knew it, Santana had explained how their relationship broke when she came out her sophomore year. Carmen Lopez was very religious and she was not okay with that fact that her daughter was gay. Ever since the day Santana sat her parents down and told them the truth, things with her mother had never been the same. Carmen looked at her own daughter like something was wrong with her and she talked down to her like she was inferior. Eventually, her mom's intolerance fueled a divorce. Santana thanked God everyday that she had her father who loved her unconditionally. He was her saving grace that never left her side through the toughest years of her life. Unlike her mother, her father supported her music 100%.

Throughout the unraveling of Santana's heart wrenching story, Brittany attentively listened and chimed in when it was appropriate. When she got to some of the tougher parts, the blonde slid her hand down to meet Santana's and held it tight, reminding her that she was there. As Santana started to talk more about her music, Brittany couldn't contain her curiosity. Since she'd been a fan of Santana's for a while now, she was really interested in the details of her songs.

"So what did you write 'Love On the Rocks' about?" she asked excitedly.

Santana hesitated before answering. There was one thing she hadn't told Brittany about earlier, and that was her relationship with her ex-girlfriend Natalie. Explaining what she wrote her single about would open the door to a whole other group of emotions and memories Santana wasn't sure she should share. The more she told Brittany, the more she could feel herself getting attached. She rolled over to face the blonde and when she saw the girl's crystal blue eyes, she couldn't deprive her of the answer.

"I wrote it about my ex," she said, knowing Brittany would ask for more.

"What was she like?"

"She was great in many ways but terrible in others. Her name's Natalie and I met her after high school. 'Love On the Rocks' kind of explains how everything came apart. I fell hard and she was only in it for the chase. We were doomed from the start," Santana said sarcastically which made Brittany giggle. Santana continued,

"I became addicted to coming back to her, even though I knew she wasn't good for me. It was a mess."

"So how did it end?" the blonde asked.

"She broke it off…without a real reason. Eventually it hit me and I realized how she really treated me. I figured out it was for the best, but at the time it was terrible. I felt completely used and vulnerable. I realized everything I put into the relationship was for nothing. It was completely a one-way effort on my part."

"Is that what 'Moving Backwards' is about?"

"You're good," Santana laughed. "Yes, it is."

After each song was explained to Brittany's satisfaction, she would ask about the next. Before the eager blonde could ask about the new song, "Someone Like You," Santana changed the subject. She wasn't sure this was the right time to confess that she had written the song about their relationship. Afraid she'd cross a line, Santana decided to avoid that explanation for now.

It was getting late and the girls' conversation started to slow. Each sentence was broken up with yawns and it became hard for the two to keep their eyes open. Brittany was the first to drift asleep. Santana was laying on her back staring at the ceiling of her nook wondering how drunk her friends were when she felt the blonde rest her head on her shoulder. As she adjusted to get comfortable, Brittany's body shifted closer and Santana loved her proximity. She loved that she could hear the dancer fall into a steady breathing pattern and she loved that could smell the blonde's strawberry scent every time she breathed in. After committing the moment to memory, Santana fell sleep to the rhythm of Brittany's heartbeat.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, May 6th<strong>  
><strong>Show #3: San Jose<strong>

When Santana woke up the next morning, Brittany was in the same position she was when they fell asleep. Santana carefully picked up the blonde's head and rested it on the pillow so she could get up without waking her. Making her way to the common area, Santana saw the clock and realized what time it was.

"Shit!" she exclaimed as she ran to wake up Brittany who was going to be late for a meeting with the other dancers.

"Britt, you gotta go," Santana said, lightly nudging the blonde who was still passed out cold. "Your meeting starts in ten minutes! Britt, wake up! I can't believe it's almost 2 o'clock already. We have to stop sleeping in this late."

The blonde opened her eyes slowly and she groaned. As soon as her brain processed what Santana had said, she shot out of bed and scrambled to get ready.

"Shit!" she said as the clumsily made her way to the front of the bus. She put her shoes on and threw her hair back. "Thanks, San! See ya later!"

Santana suddenly found herself alone in the bus. Puck, Sam and Artie weren't back yet and the hair and make up girls were MIA as well. Surprisingly, Santana was still a little sleepy. Thinking back, she had no idea what time she and Brittany had ended up going to bed. Probably super late, Santana thought as she crawled back in her bunk and let herself fall back asleep.

...

Santana sat in her dressing room. Showered and dressed in black jeans, flats and a floral patterned top, she sat on the couch and wondered where Brittany was. She hadn't seen her since she rushed out of the bus in the morning. A cycle of questions and thoughts began rotating in her head. _Was she avoiding me? Maybe I said too much last night. Maybe this is too much for her._ Disappointed and worried, she tried focused her attention on her vocal warm-ups that Pink recommended instead. It was their third show in a row, which was a bit unusual for the tour. Pink warned Santana that she might want to be extra sensitive to ensure she didn't lose her voice.

Eventually, Sam wandered into the room and parked it next to her on the couch.

"Is it okay if I chill with you? Puck is off with Courtney somewhere."

"Of course, Sam. Here, put on whatever you want," she said as she offered him her iHome which was playing her usual playlist.

As expected, Sam picked his favorite pre-show album, which was Paramore's "Riot!" No matter how much Puck made fun of him for liking "a chick band," Sam's loyalty to the group never changed. He had his own routine before shows that consisted of drumming along to this CD. Santana got a kick out of watching the blonde boy patter his sticks against his knees perfectly on time with each song. Over the years, she had become familiar with some of the songs and there was no denying that the drums on the record were pretty awesome.

"Do you think we could cover this song one show over the summer?" Sam asked as the song "Hallelujah" played. "I think we could make it pretty cool. You have the perfect voice for it, too."

"Yeah, sure. We got plenty of time," Santana said with a smile. Sixty shows is plenty of time for new covers. Maybe she could have Puck pick a few songs to cover, too. Continuing off that idea, Santana got lost planning potential covers in her head.

Besides the noise of Sam drumming against his knees and Santana chiming in with the few words that she knew, the next hour passed in silence. It was a nice and calm quiet and Santana appreciated the stillness. Her friendship with Sam was unique in that way. They could be in a room without speaking and feel completely comfortable with each other's presence. It was something Santana didn't have with anyone else; they seemed to understand each other in a way that didn't require words. When it was time to take the stage, Santana walked out with her arm slung over Sam's shoulder.

The third show passed in a blink of an eye. The only thing that changed about Santana's set was that they were now in San Jose instead of LA. She and the band fed off the crowd's energy and the crowd fed off their undying passion. It was a steady balance that made their set very exciting.

Pink's performance seemed to have that balance as well, and just like the last two nights, Santana was blown away by her stage presence. She wondered if she would ever get used to the way Pink completely and effortlessly controlled the arena with her strong voice and badass attitude.

When it was time for Santana to take the stage for the encore, she felt butterflies as she began singing the chorus with Pink. Being on stage with the superstar was such a different experience compared to being on stage for her set. It was more thrilling and she felt liberated as her lungs expelled the words to the song that she cared so much about.

As she reached her solo during the bridge, she was surprised to feel Brittany's hand intertwine with hers. Brittany looked at her with soft eyes and she seemed to be apologizing for her absence before the show. Santana was amazed at how much she could communicate with the blonde without even speaking. She winked at the dancer and squeezed her hand, loving that she squeezed back with a coy smile.

…

Thankfully, the next day was the crew's first day off. Their upcoming show was in Phoenix, which was an eleven-hour drive. For those who weren't fans of super long car rides or for those who could afford it, flying was an alternative. Pink, her close staff, the hair and make up crew, and a couple of stage technicians did just that. Since that wasn't in the cards for Santana, she, Sam, Puck and Artie had the bus to their selves.

Since they weren't set to leave until bright and early the next morning, Santana and the boys decided to go out. After a relaxing evening the night before, Santana was ready to let loose and get a little crazy. They didn't waste any time preparing drinks, and only an hour after returning back to the buses, Santana could feel the effect of the alcohol starting to make her light and bubbly.

Once the crew was feeling pretty tipsy, Puck suggested they wander out until the found a bar or club. Due to everyone's state of intoxication, no one argued and they set out on the streets of San Jose. A few blocks down, they stumbled upon a place that eerily reminded Santana of the club they went to in LA. They ordered drinks and claimed a booth in the corner, similarly to the last club.

As the night progressed, Santana couldn't tell if it was the alcohol or if she was actually experiencing déjà vu. The couples paired off just as they did in LA, and Santana found her eyes attracted like magnets to Brittany on the dance floor. She desperately wanted to get up and join her, but given the state of their relationship she wasn't sure if that was such a good idea. Santana felt paralyzed in her seat with her mind telling her one thing and her legs telling another. The battle between what she should and shouldn't do raged on and eventually, Brittany came to her.

As the blonde sat dangerously close to her, Santana could tell that they both weren't that drunk…definitely not like they were in LA. The clearer state of mind only heightened her senses, which seemed to magnify and emphasize everything about Brittany. Her eyes seemed bluer, her touch seemed softer and her voice was the only one she heard in a crowded room of people. After a couple minutes of small talk, Brittany put her hand on Santana's thigh and leaned closer to whisper in her ear,

"Did you write that new song about me?" She asked it so innocently and with such care that Santana could tell she had wanted to ask since she first heard it.

Santana paused for a few seconds before timidly nodding her head yes. She was unsure if Brittany would like the answer or not, but she couldn't lie. There was no point; those blue eyes would see right through her.

The blonde blushed and bit her lip, clearly happy that her instincts were true. She leaned in even closer and kissed Santana on the cheek, lingering as she breathed her in.

"No one has ever written a song about me before," she whispered with a smile. "Let's dance."

Before Santana could even agree, Brittany was leading them to the dance floor. The blonde grabbed Santana by the waist and rocked side to side, slowly and sensually along with the beat of the Justin Timberlake song that was blasting loudly over the speakers. The bass provided a steady rhythm that the girls moved with naturally. As Santana looked into Brittany's eyes, her feelings of déjà vu returned again and she had to keep reminding herself not to make a move like she had last time. Santana promised herself that if anything were to happen between them on the dance floor, Brittany would be the one to instigate it.

A couple of songs later, Santana noticed she didn't feel tipsy anymore; she was completely and solely drunk off the blonde. Her proximity, her grinding hips, her wandering hands and her devilish smile all drove Santana crazy. She was finding it harder and harder to remember to tell herself not to try and kiss her. In a moment of passion, their eyes met and Santana could see desire darken Brittany's blues. All at once, her lips came crashing into Santana's. It felt just like she remembered and their lips moved perfectly in sync. This time, Santana didn't have to take it slow to make sure she had permission. This time, Brittany dove in headfirst. She put her hands on Santana's face and pulled her closer, kissing her more intensely than before.

Santana separated her lips from Brittany's and delicately placed kisses up and down her neck. The blonde tipped her head back and moaned softly, running her hands through Santana's hair. Upon hearing the noise that escaped from her own mouth, Brittany suddenly pushed Santana away. This time she didn't even make up an excuse before heading for the door. For the third time that night, Santana experienced déjà vu. This girl really needs to make up her damn mind, she thought as she chased the blonde out of the club.

As soon as Santana stepped outside, she saw the blonde walking towards her. Expecting some kind wordy explanation, she started talking before Brittany got the chance.

"Okay, Britt. What's going on? One second you're all over me and the next – "

Brittany's lips interrupted her mid-sentence and she was greeted by another heated kiss instead of an apology. Santana quickly lost herself in the feeling of their lips that fit so perfectly together. She closed her eyes tighter and locked her arms around Brittany's waist, never wanting to let her go.

When Brittany pulled away, she gave Santana a look that made her knees go weak. Her blue eyes gazed adoringly into Santana's and she swore no one had ever looked at her that way before. Santana slowly and progressively watch the blonde's face turn from one of enchantment to one stricken with worry. It was obvious the blonde was facing a moral dilemma. Santana was not one to encourage or condone cheating. It was something she never had personal experience with and she never said it was acceptable before. She didn't want to be a hypocrite, but _this_…what she had with Brittany, it felt different. For a long time the girls stood that way, looking into each other's eyes. Santana desperately searched for the right words to say that would make everything okay.

"Out of sight, out of mind," was all she could come up with.

When Brittany smirked before leaning in to kiss her again, Santana knew the blonde understood.

* * *

><p>Hope you liked it! I stayed up pretty late to finish it so just ignore any grammar mistakes you came across.<p>

Just a heads up for those who are looking for updates, I'll be out of town this weekend so the next one may not be till later next week! Stay tuned, though! :)


	4. Chapter 4

I'm so so so sorry this took me a while to update! This past week has been a little crazy. The good news is I'm done with work and the summer is winding down..so I should be better about keeping up.

New songs introduced in this chapter are "Faster" by Matt Nathanson and "Goodbye, Apathy" by OneRepublic.

Thanks to all of those who have added this story to their alerts or favorites! And a special thanks to those who have left reviews. As usual, it's all greatly appreciated! Any feedback is good feedback.

* * *

><p><strong>Monday, May 7th: Day off<strong>

Santana woke up to a slight nudging on her shoulder. As a natural reaction, she nudged back, only to feel a long arm tighten around her stomach. Santana opened her eyes and blinked a few times to see Brittany who was clinging to her shirt like it was a life jacket.

The sight of the sleeping blonde nuzzled against her made Santana feel something she hadn't felt in a long time: whole. As much as Santana hated to admit it, when Natalie left, she took a part of her with. Santana was so angry at herself for letting another girl chip away at her confidence and turn her into a pathetic mess. Since the day they broke up, Santana hadn't been the same. But in that moment with Brittany, she couldn't feel the void. It was like the blonde was her missing puzzle piece.

Santana looked out the little window of her cubby to see cars flashing by on the other side of the highway. They were already on their way to Phoenix. She checked the time and was relieved to see it was only 8 o'clock. There was still plenty of sleeping left to do...but first she had to go to the bathroom. She cringed as she slowly began sliding out of bed, trying not to disturb Brittany.

"Hmm, no, don't go," the blonde whined as she pulled the girl closer.

"I'll be right back, B."

"Nooo," Brittany persisted, still half asleep.

"You can time me. I won't be more than a minute, I promise," Santana smiled wide as she tucked a couple of loose blonde hairs behind her ear.

"Okay," she agreed with a sigh.

Santana quickly got up and scrambled to the bathroom, trying to be as quick as possible. As she fixed her hair in the mirror, she had to admit that she loved knowing Brittany was in her bed waiting.

When she returned, she snuck back under the covers and let the blonde snuggle back into her original position, resting her head in the crook of Santana's neck.

"64 seconds," the blonde whispered.

Santana's head tilted back with laughter, "Aw, come on, I was pretty close."

"Nope. Not even."

Santana laughed even more, "Are you really gonna hold me to those 4 seconds?"

"Absolutely," Brittany said confidently as her eyes began to close again.

"Well, good thing we got the whole day."

"Hmm good thing," Brittany purred as she cuddled closer to the brunette, wrapping her leg around Santana's. "Let's sleep first."

...

When the two finally arose from their slumber, it was one o'clock. Rolling out of bed and noting the other empty bunks, they found they had the bus to themselves. After checking her phone, a text from Puck explained that the three boys were still on the dancers' bus. Brittany made her way to the kitchen and poured herself a bowl of cereal while Santana checked in with Buddy. The driver informed her that they still had a solid five hours until Phoenix and that they had just missed the last pit stop of the trip.

Santana smiled to herself as she turned around and headed to the kitchen to grab some food. Five hours of Brittany to herself sounded great. In fact, it sounded pretty amazing. As she made herself a quick sandwich, the blonde was all Santana could think about. From the corner of her eye, she peered at the sleepy dancer who was mindlessly using her spoon to play with her remaining Captain Crunch. The thought once again crossed Santana's mind: could the girl be any cuter? It didn't seem possible.

Trying to figure out her game plan, Santana decided that like before, she would let Brittany dictate the pace of their new and unfamiliar relationship. She realized that they were skating on thin ice and she wondered what she could get away with without sending their friendship backwards. Could she use cute nicknames like babe or sweetheart? Could she kiss her whenever she wanted? Would they hold hands? Would they tell their friends? When would she leave Adam? The questions seemed never ending, and until they were all answered and out in the open, Santana didn't want to be the one who crossed any lines. So instead, she decided to follow Brittany's lead, whatever that may be.

Once she finished making her sandwich, she grabbed her plate and sat across from the blonde at the booth style table.

"So, we still got a while on the bus. What do ya wanna do?"

"Hmmm," Brittany said, wheels churning in her head. As she thought of ideas, Santana admired the dancer shamelessly. Even in the morning, with no makeup and messy hair, she was still as gorgeous as ever. Not to mention the fact that Brittany was wearing one of Santana's old band t-shirts that only made the girl seem even sexier.

"We could watch TV?" Santana offered.

"Too boring," Brittany responded quickly and continued to think. A smirk slowly but surely appeared on her face and her eyes met Santana's just as her brilliant idea was fully formed. "You could sing for me?"

"Next idea," Santana shook her head.

"Oh come on San," she pleaded as she got up and maneuvered herself next to the brunette across the table. Brittany knew she could get the girl to do whatever she wanted, as long as she pulled the right strings. She placed her hand high on Santana's thigh and led a trail of soft kisses from her neck up to her ear where she lingered and whispered, "Pretty please? At least play the guitar for me?"

She pulled away and bit her lip, giving Santana the ultimate puppy face. Santana rolled her eyes and desperately tried to keep herself from smiling.

"That's so unfair. How can I say no to that face?"

"You can't. That's the point, S," Brittany said, beaming with delight.

"You're good. Alright fine, let me go get the guitar," Santana motioned for the blonde to get up so she could get out of the booth.

Brittany skipped over to the couch and sat with a smile still plastered to her face. Santana walked to the back of the bus, slid the large black case out from under her bed and retrieved her acoustic guitar. She grabbed a pick and took a seat next to the all too eager blonde.

"So what do you wanna hear, B?" she asked as she began plucking away randomly.

"Hmm. How about the song you wrote most recently?"

"The other day I came up with the chords for a new song...but I haven't written the lyrics yet."

"Let's hear it," Brittany said, turning to face Santana who was sitting to her right.

Santana began playing and Brittany was enchanted as she listened to the peppy, upbeat rhythm. After a while of strumming, Santana realized that playing this song without any words was starting to sound very repetitive.

"Have you ever written a song before?" Santana asked and Brittany shook her head no.

"Do you want to? We can put some words to this bad boy right now."

"Really? Yeah! I'm not sure I'll be any good though.."

"That's okay. We'll do it together," Santana said with an assuring smile.

"So..could this be like, our song?" the blonde asked as her face lit up. Santana's eyes met Brittany's blues and for a second, she thought she might get lost in them.

"Sure, Britt," Santana laughed as she continued to loop the opening chords trying to think of the perfect first lyrics. "I'll start, just give me a second."

She looked up at the blonde who was watching her intently, patiently waiting for the start of their song. Scooting closer, Brittany began pattering her hands against Santana's leg in excitement. Santana could feel her heartbeat quicken from the electricity of their contact. The steady one-two pattern of the dancer's hands slowly stopped, but Brittany left her right hand on top of Santana's leg. She began rubbing circles with her thumb over her bare skin, which only made the brunette's heart race faster.

"Alright, I got it," Santana said as she started the song from the beginning.

_You're so delicious, you're so soft_

_Sweet on the tip of my tongue_

_You taste like sunlight and strawberry bubble gum_

_You bite my lip, you spike my blood_

_You make my heart beat faster_

She sang as her eyes locked with Brittany's. She smiled at the beautiful girl in front of her and the words just seemed to come out naturally. Without any hesitation, she had the chorus mapped out; it was all too easy with the blonde as her inspiration.

_Only you own and rattle my bones_

_You turn me over and over till I can't control myself_

_Make me a liar, one big disaster_

_You make my heart beat faster_

The girls took turns from there, alternating lines of lyrics and finishing the song. Brittany grabbed a pad of paper and began scribbling down the words to the song they called "Faster" so they wouldn't forget. After Santana sang the last chorus, Brittany was filled with an overwhelming sense of joy. She couldn't help but attack Santana with kisses. First playfully on the nose and cheek, but then on the lips with sincerity and passion. When Brittany pulled away, she bit her bottom lip and smirked at Santana before kissing her again, this time just a soft peck on the lips. Writing that song had been the most fun she'd had in a long time, and she loved knowing that the song was theirs.

"Thanks, San. That was amazing," Brittany said, humming the chorus to herself.

"It was. We make a good team. I'll have to teach it to the boys tomorrow."

"Yeah? Will you play it at the show?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes!" Brittany said, practically yelling. "I mean, only if _you_want to."

"Alright then. I think I'll add it to our set list," Santana said with a smile as she started playing the notes to one of her other songs. Before she knew it, she was mixing a couple of her own songs together, strumming along to whatever her muscle memory commanded.

"Did you really write that one song about me? Someone Like You?" Brittany asked softly when she heard part of that song somewhere in the brunette's mindless plucking.

"Of course I did."

"When did you write it?"

"Why do you want to know?" Santana asked, laughing a bit nervously, curious about Brittany's sudden interest in her songs.

"Your music...it, it fascinates me, San. I've always wondered that kinda stuff about songs. Ya know, the background and everything. And remember, I'm your number one fan," she said with a smile that was blinding.

"Fair enough. Well...I wrote that one the day I met you."

"Really? The same day?"

"Yep. Right when I got home from rehearsals," Santana said timidly. "It..it just kind of flowed right out of me."

Santana's eyes wandered from the blonde to the floor as she tried to avoid Brittany seeing her face that felt red with flush. When she finally looked at Brittany, she found the dancer was blushing even more than she was.

"I've always wanted someone to write a song about me...since I was little."

"Oh yeah? Well there's plenty more where that came from."

"Really?"

"Yeah, B. It's kinda my thing." Brittany smiled and wondered what exactly she was referring to. Was the song writing her thing or was she?

The blonde continued to grin as she listened to Santana who was still strumming away. She debated whether or not it would be rude to ask, but her curiosity got the best of her and before she could stop herself, the words had already left her mouth.

"Have you written any more?"

"About you?"

"Mhm."

"Maybe," Santana said, extending the last syllable. Brittany could tell that she wasn't ready to share anything more, but that maybe was enough. She knew it was a yes and the fact that Santana was writing songs about her gave her more butterflies than anything in the world. Where had this girl been her whole life?

When Santana's fingers started to ache, she put down the guitar and rested her head back against the top of the couch.

"Are you sleepy too?" Brittany asked. "Can we watch a movie now?"

"Yes, definitely."

"Let's watch it on your lap top so we can lay down."

"You read my mind," Santana grinned as she got her Mac book and stack of DVDs. Brittany crawled in the bunk and Santana followed. She slid Despicable Me into the computer, which was propped up with a pillow on her lap, and let the dancer cuddle up next to her.

The movie started and within the first fifteen minutes, Brittany was all giggles. Santana tried to pay attention but the only thing she could focus on was what had been in the back of her mind all day: the endless questions that she wanted to ask but couldn't. As she listened to Brittany's commentary and laughter, Santana tried to muster up the courage to speak her mind. They still hadn't talked about the kiss from last night, but at the same time Santana felt like they didn't need to. The action spoke for itself...Santana was now worried about the future.

Halfway through the movie, Santana could feel Brittany's breathing turn heavier and she knew the blonde had fallen asleep. Relieved that she could finally put her thoughts to rest for at least a little while, she took a deep breath and rested her head against Brittany's. She tightened the grip she had on the girl who was now sound asleep and she let herself drift off into unconsciousness.

...

A sudden banging on the side of the bus startled the two and sent them back to reality. Santana stretched and peered out the window to see Puck, Sam and Artie laughing and giving each other high fives. She flipped them the bird and laid back down, facing Brittany.

"Looks like we're here."

"Already? That went by quick."

"I know. I think 6 o'clock is a good time to get out of our pajamas. I'm going to shower and make myself look semi-presentable," Santana said as she sat up and swung her legs over the bed so she was now sitting on the edge.

"Me too," Brittany said as she sat up and maneuvered herself next to Santana. She rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up. "Hey, we should go explore later."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I've never been here before."

"Me neither."

"Alright great! I'll come get you after I'm done getting ready." Brittany leaned in a softly kissed Santana, leaving the brunette wanting more. She stood up and made her way towards the front of the bus just as Puck and Sam made their way in.

"Oh hey, Brittany!" Puck said, over-excitedly. "What have you guys been up to all day? And all night now that I think about it."

"Zip it, Puckerman!" Santana yelled, still sitting on her bunk.

"Hey, hey, we're just curious now. So what _did_you guys do?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Brittany said with a smile as she brushed by the two boys and left the bus.

"Oh I like her," the mohawked boy said as he plopped down on the couch. "Feisty and witty."

"And sexy," Sam chimed in.

"All of the above," Santana assured them as she joined them on the couch.

"Alright, Lopez. Spill. What's the deal with you guys?"

"It's complicated. I'm not really sure where we stand at the moment."

"Are you guys a thing?" Puck pressed on for more details.

"I guess you could call it that. She kind of has a boyfriend though."

"Ohhhhh I see. Been there."

"Boyfriends are just detours," Sam added. "Are you gonna talk to her about it?"

"Eventually. Right now I don't want to fuck anything up."

"Understandable. She totally digs you though. It's way obvious," Puck said.

"Yeah? Ya think so?"

"For sure."

"Well good. Cause she drives me crazy," Santana said as she shook her head. She paused a minute before continuing. "What about you guys? Courtney? Erin? What's going on with them?"

"Sam over here is whipped like no other," Puck joked as he nudged the blonde boy who suddenly began defensive.

"Am not!"

"Oh, but he is. But whatever floats your boat man."

"What about Courtney?" Santana said, raising an eyebrow.

"Courtney is Courtney."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She's just...I don't know," Puck said, a bit flustered. Sam smiled at Santana and they both knew he was feeling something a bit more for her, he just didn't know how to say it.

Quickly, Puck tried to change the subject. "We gotta shower but after that I think we're going to this bar tonight if you wanna come."

"Maybe Britt and I will head over there later. She wants to 'explore' so we'll see. Dibs on first shower!" Santana yelled as she ran to claim the bathroom leaving the two boys complaining on the couch.

...

Santana got ready as quickly as possible. She straightened her hair and threw on a pair of skinny jeans with a white v-neck t-shirt and a couple of cute bracelets. At first she argued to herself about what she should wear, but after a while she gave up and decided she couldn't go wrong with casual.

As she sat down to kill some time and watch TV, Santana realized that this night on the town with Brittany could be considered their first date. Could, being the key word. Since they hadn't talked about where they stand, she couldn't tell for sure if it was. Interrupting her train of thought, Brittany opened the bus door and popped her head in.

"Ready, San?"

"Yep! Let's go," Santana said as she grabbed her purse and made her way outside. When she saw the blonde, she was relieved with her outfit choice as the blonde was wearing short jean shorts and a light green v-neck.

"Where to?" the brunette asked as they walked away from where the buses were parked behind the arena to the street in front of them.

"Right or left?" Brittany asked. Santana looked both ways, each option looking about the same.

"Left."

"Left it is!" The blonde said as she took Santana's hand and began walking.

...

The two girls spent the night hand in hand, walking aimlessly through a small downtown area close to the venue. They grabbed dinner at a quaint but authentic Mexican restaurant and afterwards, shopped around the various boutiques and stores.

As the night progressed, Santana allowed herself to let go of her worries. She soaked in the feeling of Brittany's fingers intertwined with hers, she ingrained the infectious sound of the blonde's laughter in her head, and she kissed the taller girl whenever she had the chance. She shoved all of the looming questions about their relationship to the corner mind and simply lived in the moment.

Usually Santana was all about planning. She liked to know the agenda and hated being lost. Normally the thought of trying to navigate through an area she was unfamiliar with stressed Santana out beyond belief. But that night, Brittany showed her the greatness of spontaneity. They had no plans and no idea where they were, and it didn't even matter. Santana loved the feeling of possibility that overtook her as she walked with her arm around Brittany's waist. There was no rush, no sense of urgency; nothing but options.

After a couple of hours of window shopping and strolling around with no sense of direction, they decided to meet up with their friends at the bar that happened to be a few blocks away. When they arrived, Puck bought the girls drinks but neither were in the mood to really party. They took a seat at a couple of stools at the end of the bar and spent the rest of the night enveloped in each other's conversation and presence. It was the perfect end to a perfect night.

* * *

><p><strong>Tuesday, May 8th<br>Show #4: Phoenix**

The excitement and adrenaline from her set sent Santana to a new high that lasted throughout her finale performance with Pink. The venue was a bit smaller than the other two they had played at, so it turned out to be the perfect arena to debut her new song. She switched out "Someone Like You" for "Faster" in her set list and the crowd ate up the light hearted and catchy new tune. The environment and chemistry between the fans was so intimate that Santana even got them to sing along with the last chorus of the song as she repeated it a couple of extra times through.

The best part about the premiere of "Faster" was easily Brittany's reaction. As soon as Santana walked off stage, the tall blonde wrapped her arms around her and gave her a suffocating hug. For the rest of the night, Brittany just kept repeating things like, "That was incredible! You were incredible! They totally loved it!" She couldn't get the image of Santana singing their song to thousands of people out of her head.

When the show ended, Santana returned to her dressing room to pack up her things. Tour was in full swing now and the next stop was Dallas, which was a seventeen-hour drive. It was one of the longest drives of the tour, so most of it would be done over night when everyone would be sleeping. Once again, those who opted to fly would meet them in Texas. Santana, Puck, Sam and Artie found that, like last time, they had the bus to themselves.

Once Santana had all of her things together, she headed straight for her bunk. As she headed to the bus, she tried to remember why she was so tired but she couldn't come up with any real reason. Instead, she just blamed it on her new acclamation to tour life. She didn't check to see what her friends were doing because honestly, she didn't care enough. Well, scratch that, she was curious about Brittany. She wondered what the blonde was doing but just assumed she would just talk to her in the morning. Possessed with exhaustion, she could feel her adrenaline dwindling fast. By the time she made it to the bus, she felt completely deflated. Within two minutes of resting her head on her pillow, she was out like a light.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, May 9th: Day off<strong>

Santana's eyes opened after what felt like ten minutes. Disoriented, confused, and half-asleep, she checked her phone to see it was 4:30 in the morning. She sighed and hoped she'd to be able to fall back asleep. Rolling over, she was startled by the presence of the blonde dancer who was passed out next to her. After catching her breath and letting her heart rate calm to its normal pace, she remembered how Buddy had told her they'd be making a couple of pit stops throughout the night. She smiled as she realized Brittany must've switched buses during one of them.

The fact that Brittany would rather sleep in her bunk instead of her own made it hard for Santana to stop smiling. She wrapped her arm around the blonde and nuzzled close, letting Brittany overtake her senses with the scent of strawberries and shampoo, the feel of her soft skin, and the tranquil sound of her even breathing. Within minutes, Santana fell back asleep like a baby.

Two hours later, Santana awoke to the vibrating noise of a text message. She kept her eyes closed as her arm blindly searched for the phone in hopes of silencing the damn thing. When she grabbed her phone to feel it wasn't the one vibrating, she picked her head up to see Brittany's shaking wildly. Santana reached across the bunk to stop the incessant buzzing and wondered how the blonde was managing to sleep through the phone's interruption.

At the same moment she pressed the red button to end the vibrating notification, Brittany received another text. The sender's name flashed on the top of the screen as the icon of incoming mail animated below it. Santana felt a pit form in her stomach as she saw the name _Adam_ appear in what seemed like slow motion.

Feeling like she was just slapped in the face, Santana silenced the phone and laid her head back down on her pillow. It was so easy for her to forget about the slight obstacle of the boyfriend when she was so wrapped up in her reverie of Brittany. Now wide awake, Santana tossed and turned while thinking about the reality check she just received through a text message that wasn't even hers.

Her mind was racing and there was no way she was going to fall back asleep. The thought of Brittany being with someone else made Santana feel physically sick with jealousy. How could she have fallen for a girl this fast…and this hard? That was the craziest part of the whole situation. The tour had just begun but it had felt like she'd known the dancer forever. What she was feeling for Brittany couldn't be compared to anything she's ever felt before. It terrified her, but at the same time she knew it was felt right. Brittany was right.

She closed her eyes tightly and tried to push the thought of Adam deep into the part of her memory that she never wanted to retrieve. Despite her multiple attempts, her efforts were useless; Adam and her impending future with Brittany were way more important than any other crap that was lingering in Santana's mind.

What felt like hours later, Santana was still wired lying restlessly next to Brittany who was still away in dreamland. Like most times she was faced with an overwhelming amount of emotions, Santana turned to music as a way to sort everything out. She could feel the words to a song brimming in her mind and before she knew it, she had the beginning verse written. She opened her phone and created a note for herself that consisted of these newborn lyrics. Her fingertips moved a hundred miles an hour as she furiously tried to type along with the words that were scrolling like a marquee through her mind.

_I can't sleep, no, not like I used to_

_I can't breathe in and out like I need to_

_It's breaking ice now to make any movement_

_What's your vice? You know that mine's the illusion._

_And all at once (as I'm trying)_

_I can help you out (just to get things right)_

_I'll be what you need (I kill myself to make everything perfect for you)_

_I'll do anything._

_Goodbye apathy, so long apathy._

Fuck letting Brittany take the lead, Santana thought as she put down her phone. She promised herself that she would stop procrastinating on talking to the blonde about the questions that were filling her with anxiety. She had to _know_; no more assumptions, no more beating around the bush. She should be able to dictate or have a say in the guidelines of their relationship. It's a two way street, after all. If she wanted an Adamless Brittany, she had to cut to the chase.

Santana could finally feel herself getting tired again. All of the thinking and formulating she'd done formed bags under her eyes and she wanted to do nothing more than to escape to her unconscious. Just as she was about to enter the realm of dreams, the godforsaken buzzing of Brittany's phone sent Santana's eyelids flying open.


	5. Chapter 5

Told ya I was gonna be better about updating! :)

New song in this chapter is "Edge of Desire" by John Mayer.

Thanks for the feedback! Reviews make my world go round. I like to hear from you guys.

Hope you like this chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Tuesday, May 15th<br>****Show #8: Miami**

Santana sat on the couch with her guitar and carefully strummed away as precisely as she could. With her laptop opened in front of her, she recorded segments of each new song in Garage Band. She turned the bus into her own make shift studio. Vocals were recorded at the kitchen table, the guitar on the couch and later she added piano and percussion with the features on the advanced computer software. Her goal was to have rough recording of each track she planned on having on her sophomore album by the time she finished the summer tour. At the rate she was moving now, that goal would be achieved and surpassed easily.

She couldn't remember the last time she had ever written this many songs in a short period of time. At first, the tunes and melodies she came up with were nothing more than cliché and mundane. But over the past couple of weeks, her songs had transformed into catchy and undeniably original pieces. She wrote or recorded at least one every two days, and she knew it was all because of Brittany. Her latest masterpiece and current obsession was a song called "Edge of Desire." Perfecting every verse and chorus became her task for the day, and she couldn't wait to get into an actual studio to make it sound even better.

Since the night she promised herself she would grow a pair and confront Brittany about their relationship, nothing had changed. Every time she decided on the perfect opportunity to finally spill her heart, a reason to wait would creep into her mind and she would convince herself to put it off just a day longer. Before she knew it, a week had gone by and she was in the exact same position.

Procrastination became her hobby. Some days she would indulge and let herself live in the fairy tale of being Brittany's one and only; but most days she was reminded sometime or another that that simply wasn't the case. Part of Santana blamed her postponement on her music. She found that she could effortlessly put everything she wanted to tell Brittany into the lyrics of countless songs...but when it really mattered, she couldn't muster the courage to vocalize those words to the one person who needed to hear them.

Some of the lingering questions that used to loop in Santana's mind were answered with time. For example, she found out that it was okay to use endearing names like babe or baby. Holding hands was iffy; it depended on the situation and who was around. The same went for kissing.

It kind of became an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't go around publicizing their relationship. The only people that really knew about them were Mike, Puck, and Sam. Mike didn't care because he knew Brittany was better with Santana while Puck and Sam didn't care as long as Santana was happy. Puck had expressed his worry that she could end up getting hurt, but Santana simply replied that she knew what she was doing, so he let it go. Erin, Courtney and Artie had drawn their own conclusions, but were ultimately indifferent to the whole situation.

The unanswered questions that were the most important, the ones that Santana constantly put off, were the ones that were slowly tearing her apart.

...

It was one o'clock and Santana was still playing around with Garage Band. Normally she would be sleeping at this time seeing that staying up late and sleeping in even later had become another one of her new hobbies...but they had the previous day off as they traveled from New Orleans to Miami and she had spent most of the 13 hour drive sleeping. She awoke early in the morning with a newfound energy and had spent the entire day organizing her latest collection of songs.

Puck, Sam, Artie and Mike went to grab lunch and Santana decided to stay back and continue editing some tracks. After lunch, the dancers had to report to mandatory rehearsals. Every few shows, Pink liked to exchange some songs in her set list and she liked to make sure everyone was still on the same page.

Santana was intently listening to the harmonization of her layered vocals on "Edge of Desire" when Mike tapped on her shoulder and interrupted.

"Hey Santana. Sorry to bug you but have you talked to Britt today?" he asked with worry written on his face as he sat across from her at the table.

"We were texting earlier but I haven't seen her yet...why?"

"I don't know...I think something's wrong. She won't talk to me about it. The only time she got out of bed was for rehearsals but now she's right back in it. And she's been crying. I, I thought you should know."

"Thanks, Mike," Santana said as she quickly shut her laptop and put away her guitar. She threw on some shoes and practically sprinted to the neighboring bus. When she walked in, Courtney and Erin were sitting at the kitchen table talking about the new dance routines. She greeted the girls politely but kept moving swiftly to Brittany's bunk.

She pulled back the curtains of the blonde's cubby to see the dancer curled up in a ball facing the window. Santana gently sat on the edge of the bed and started rubbing her back.

"B?" Santana said softly. As she her hand continued to make circles on Brittany's back, she could feel the girl's unsteady breathing.

"Talk to me, B. What's wrong?"

Santana adjusted herself on the bed so she was now sitting next to the blonde and her back was propped up against the wall. Brittany instinctively rolled over and curled up close to the comforting voice. She rested her head on Santana's lap and desperately tried to contain her silent sobs.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Brittany said, just loud enough for Santana to make out between her gasps for air.

"Are you sure?" Santana asked softly, trying not to be too demanding. She didn't want to push her to talk about anything she didn't want to, but it was obvious she wasn't okay.

The sight of Brittany this visibly upset was causing the brunette physical pain. She found herself wanting to take away her tears and put the burden of whatever was wrong on herself.

"No."

"Okay. Well, whenever you're ready." Santana took a deep breath ran her hands through the blonde's hair. She suddenly realized this was her first time seeing Brittany cry. Like, really cry. Santana had walked in on a breakdown and was doing her best to help Brittany return to her normal state of peace. Even though it was killing her to not know what was going on, she had a good idea it had something to do with Adam. Nevertheless, she couldn't force anything out of Brittany; so instead, she kept quiet and continued to run her fingers through the blonde's soft hair.

"Don't leave," Brittany said as she tightened her grip on Santana's sweats.

"I wouldn't think of it, babe."

...

Twenty minutes or so passed and Brittany was finally starting to calm down. Once she composed herself, she sat up to be eye level with Santana and wiped her cheeks to rid her final tears.

"Bad day?" Santana said lightly with a smile, trying to get Brittany to give her one in return. Her line worked, but just barely as Brittany's smile faded quickly.

"You could say that," she said as she looked down to her fingers that were fidgeting like crazy. She seemed nervous as she avoided eye contact and remained transfixed on her busy hands. In that moment, the two girls communicated without speaking. From the blonde's behavior, Santana's suspicions were confirmed; it was clear Brittany was upset about something Adam had done, but couldn't bring herself to talk about it with Santana given the state of their relationship.

Santana could read between the lines and understood why Brittany was uncomfortable. She put herself in the blonde's shoes and could see she would probably be acting the same way. All Santana wanted to do was make her feel better; make her forget about Adam and whatever he had done. So she took Brittany's left hand with both of hers and began to make circles with her thumb over the pressure point between her thumb and index finger, just like the blonde had taught her before. The gesture filled Brittany with warmth and she picked her head up to lock eyes with Santana.

"Thanks for staying, San."

"Of course," she said with a reassuring smile. As Santana studied the dancer, she could see there was sadness still lingering in her piercing blue eyes. Her urge to cheer her up became stronger and she smirked as she came up with a brilliant idea. "Hey, you know what we should do tomorrow?"

"What?" the blonde asked with sincere curiosity.

"We should go to the beach."

"Really?"

"Yeah, come on, it'll be fun. The drive to Orlando isn't bad; we'll probably make it overnight. When we wake up we can go spend the day at the beach and be back for sound check. We can get the motley crew to come too."

"Okay," Brittany said with a grin that threatened to take Santana's breath away. "Ya know, you're really great. Have I ever told you that before?"

"Maybe once or twice," the brunette joked, sending Brittany into a fit of giggles.

...

Sound check for the night's show took a bit longer than usual because Santana decided to switch up her six-song routine. She decided to get rid of her cover of the popular hit, Fuck You and exchange it for her newest song, Edge of Desire. Her set list now consisted of her single, Love On The Rocks, Edge of Desire, Moving Backwards, her cover of Edge of Glory, Let The Rain, and finally, Faster.

As the shows went on, Santana was becoming more and more comfortable on stage in front of tens of thousands of people. The nerves she normally experienced during her pre-show routines had decreased dramatically since the first night in LA. The shots of tequila she took with Puck before heading on stage were no longer needed for liquid courage, but instead were taken just for fun. With Brittany by her side, everything just felt a little bit better. She fed off the blonde's constant positivity and it was making her more confident with each show. The concert in Miami was the 8th time she'd taken the stage on the Funhouse Tour, and after she finished her set she was convinced it was her band's best performance yet. The boys had never sounded stronger and she had never felt prouder.

The meet and greets that she continued to host at her merch table after her set fueled her creativity even more. Being able to connect with and talk to her fans provided more inspiration than she thought was possible. Hearing their stories and knowing that there were people out there who believed in her made her feel like her music had purpose; like it was more than her way of coping. It served as something greater, something others cared about and could relate to. Even though she was performing across the country in states she had never been to before, crowds of eager and enthusiastic people continued to show each night. Santana was getting the first taste of stardom through her fans, and she loved every second of it.

Taking the stage with Pink was still her favorite part of the night. After watching the superstar bring down the house for almost two hours, getting the chance to sing with her felt like a dream come true. Their voices complemented each other perfectly, and as Brittany described it, they sounded like two angels singing in harmony.

...

Once Santana and Pink finished the last chorus of "Fucking Perfect," the group of dancers and performers took their final bow and absorbed the last seconds of the Miami crowd's bellowing cheers. They made their way backstage and Santana tried to catch her breath. Sometimes it took a while for her to return to a normal state of tranquility after experiencing the extreme adrenaline rush of being on stage with Pink.

As Santana made her way to her dressing room, she heard someone faintly calling her name. She turned around to see Pink jogging towards her.

"Hey you! What are you doing tonight?" the star said once she caught up.

"No plans. Why, what's going on?"

"Well, I just realized we haven't gone out together yet. That's a problem. I think it's time we properly celebrate the start of this tour. What do ya say? Wanna come out for drinks?" Pink asked as she nudged the brunette in front of her.

"Yeah, for sure!" Santana replied without hesitation.

"You can bring a couple of friends if you want, just try to keep the crowd small. Meet me at my bus in an hour. Sound good?"

"Perfect!"

"See you soon, Lopez," Pink said with a smirk as she turned around and headed towards her dressing room.

Since the start of the tour, Santana had only hung out with Pink a few times. They grabbed lunch a once or twice and had spent some time hanging out backstage, but they had never gone out and partied before. Part of the reason why was because Pink didn't go out a lot. Given her celebrity status, it was hard for her to go to bars or clubs without drawing the attention of fans or paparazzi. Every time she went out, she went with a small group of close friends and security was a must.

Santana had to admit, she was probably a little bit too excited for the night ahead. She'd always knew she would get along great with Pink, it was only a matter for time before they became friends. Not to mention, she wouldn't mind experiencing a night of VIP treatment with a superstar.

Anticipation for the night filled her and she immediately went to find Sam, Puck and Brittany. As Santana headed to her bus, she saw the three standing in a circle outside the door. Before she could propose that they join her, Puck informed her that they had already had plans. He invited her and said that Courtney had some friends in Miami so they were all going to party with them at some bar.

Santana was a bit disappointed that Brittany wouldn't be coming and she gave the blonde a weak smile as she explained she wouldn't be able to go due to her plans with Pink. Puck reminded her to be back by 3 AM because that's when the buses were leaving for Orlando. Santana nodded and as she left the group to go get ready, Brittany pulled her aside.

"Will you text me when you get back?" she said innocently.

"Sure, B."

"Good. Have fun," Brittany said as she leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

...

Santana showered as quickly as possible. She threw on a little black dress and some heels after doing her hair and makeup. After about an hour almost exactly, she met Pink who was waiting outside her bus with a couple of people.

"Just you tonight? Your boys didn't want to come?"

"They're way too cool for us," she said as she rolled her eyes.

"Their loss!" Pink said as she threw her arm around the brunette. Santana already knew Greg and Mindy, so Pink introduced her to her two security guards, Joe and Tim, who would also be joining them.

The six of them crammed into one of the security guard's SVUs and they were off. When they arrived at the club, the bouncer was expecting them. Joe and Tim swiftly escorted the group past the line of people waiting outside to get in and led them straight to the VIP lounge upstairs. Santana's jaw dropped with amazement as they entered the curtained room on the balcony that overlooked the dance floor below. She took a seat on the L shaped couch and within seconds, a waitress appeared to get their drinks.

"What's your poison?" Pink asked Santana as she sat next to the brunette.

"I'm feelin' a little whiskey tonight."

"Ooh, I like your taste," she replied as she told the waitress their orders.

From then on, the two chatted back and fourth effortlessly. The drinks continued to flow which only made their conversation more interesting. Santana found herself opening up to Pink very easily. Pink knew all about the life of a struggling artist and they bonded over their past hardships. After almost two hours of talking about everything from music to past relationships to their biggest pet peeves, the two were practically best friends. Pink became a confiding figure of sorts; someone Santana could relate to and trust with things she couldn't talk to Puck about. He was a great friend; her shoulder to cry, her rock when things got tough, and the one person she could always depend on. But sometimes, it was hard for her to talk to him about things that were more serious: things that she could barely admit to herself.

"So, what's going on with Brittany?" Pink asked, interrupting the brunette's train of thought.

"What do you mean?" Santana said as she grabbed her drink off the table and slurped up the reminder.

"I've seen the way you look at her, Santana. I'm a lot of things, but I'm not an idiot."

Santana chuckled and reluctantly spilled the whole story, starting from the first day of rehearsals. She told Pink about their first encounters at the nightclubs, the discovery of Adam, and the fact that she had never felt this way about anyone in her life. She proved it by explaining the affect the blonde had been having on her music. Santana could feel herself getting wound up as she included that they had been keeping their relationship discrete but that she desperately wanted to admit how she was really feeling. As she continued to explain, she realized how it ultimately made her sound like a home wrecker and Brittany a heartless cheater.

"When I say it out loud it sounds pretty terrible," Santana said, suddenly becoming worried that Pink might not understand.

"It's not too bad," she replied shaking her head. "You do crazy things for love, I guess."

Santana's eyes widen and she cleared her throat upon hearing the word love.

"Whoa there, I didn't mean to freak you out with the l word," Pink said with a few laughs.

"Maybe you love her, maybe you don't. Not yet at least. But either way, if your feelings are that strong and you want to be with her, you have to say something. If you don't, she may think you're okay with just being half her girlfriend...or whatever you are at the moment. You gotta step up, San, or else you're just going to end up getting hurt."

"I know. I know that...I'm just scared of what she'll say. What if she doesn't feel the same? Sometimes I think it's better to be her half something than nothing at all."

"You gotta have faith, San. If what your feeling is that strong, there's a good chance it's the same for her," Pink said. Sensing that the brunette was fighting off tears, she placed her hand on Santana's back and tried to calm her down. As she felt the tears brimming in her eyes, Santana couldn't tell if they were brought on by the alcohol or if it was just because she had been holding them back for so long.

"So you're going to talk to her then?" Pink asked softly.

Santana nodded and took a deep breath, forcing back any tears that threatened to fall.

"When?" she pushed on, knowing Santana all too well.

The brunette shrugged, causing Pink to tilt her head back with laughter.

"Alright, Santana Lopez. You are miss procrastinator of the year. We are picking when you're going to do this right now and you're going to follow through. I'm going to hold you to it. Deal?"

Santana picked her head up to meet eyes Pink. An overwhelming sense of gratitude came over her and she was so thankful that Pink hadn't judged. Instead, she simply listened and was trying to help her without any second thoughts.

"Tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow," Santana repeated in agreement.

"Good. I expect a progress report. Now let's get you another drink!"

...

It was 2:30 when the group returned home from the club. Santana was significantly intoxicated and instantly crawled into her bunk after changing into some comfortable clothes. She noticed Puck, Sam and Artie where already back and sound asleep which reminded her to text Brittany. She got out her phone and focused intently on spelling each word correctly.

_Hi, B. Just got home. Think you are too. Don't forget, beach day tomorrow._

She closed her phone and rolled over. The lingering alcohol in her system filled her with warmth and she knew she wouldn't have any trouble falling asleep tonight. Just as her eyes were beginning to shut, her phone vibrated with an incoming message.

_I won't! I'll come wake you up in the morning. Night, Sanny._

A smile spread quickly on her face upon seeing the nickname the blonde had given her. Her mind wandered to the anticipation of the next day's events and she fell asleep clutching her phone, wishing Brittany was there next to her.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, May 16th<br>****Show #9: Orlando**

It had to have been 110 degrees outside. Santana couldn't have picked a hotter day to spend in the sun and Puck wouldn't let her forget it. For the first couple of hours, all he did was complain about the heat. Once the beers he had been downing kicked in, he eventually eased up on the bickering and tried to enjoy the rays.

The group of seven set up camp on the shore and spent the day relaxing and cooling off in the water. They packed a cooler of drinks and lunch so they would never have to leave the beach. Even Puck's incessant whining or Sam and Erin's grotesque PDA couldn't ruin the day for Santana. She spent most of the afternoon completely infatuated with Brittany. Her pale skin practically radiated from the sun and Santana was having a hard time keeping her hands to herself. When Brittany asked her to help apply some sunscreen, Santana agreed all too willingly. The sight of the toned blonde in her hot pink bikini alone was enough to send her over the edge.

Santana spread out a towel for the two to lie out and soak in the sun. Hours passed and it felt like they were in their own little world. After a while, Brittany had completely forgotten that they had come with anyone else. She was lost in Santana's brown eyes and found herself thinking that she didn't want to ever have to be without them.

Amidst the girls endless conversation, Santana couldn't keep Pink's words from running through her mind:_If you don't, she may think you're okay with just being half her girlfriend; You gotta step up or else you're just going to end up getting hurt: You gotta have faith._ Afraid she would ruin a perfect beach day, Santana decided to wait until after the night's show to confront Brittany about what she'd been really feeling. Even at the beach, she hated that she had to censor their relationship. Every time she wanted to kiss the blonde senselessly or wrap her up in her arms, she had to contain herself. With every concealed desire, she became more and more anxious to spill her heart.

The day had gone exactly as Santana had planned. The purpose of the whole trip was to take Brittany's mind off Adam and whatever had made her upset. As the day went on, she could see the blonde return to her normal self. Santana no longer worried that the about the fragile state of the girl that was now laughing and chucking sand at Puck for continually bitching about his sun burnt complexion.

Time didn't seem to matter when they were parked on the beach. Nobody was in a rush, and honestly, nobody wanted to leave. Even Puck admitted that he wished they could stay there for a couple of days. Santana smirked as she imagined the paradise of spending a vacation with Brittany in Orlando.

"Fuck, we gotta go if we wanna make it back in time for your sound check!" Artie said to Santana as he checked his phone.

Artie's wake up call sent the seven scrambling back to the bus where Buddy was ready to take them back to the arena. Thankfully, they arrived back just as Mindy called Santana to see where the hell she was. She and her boys took the stage in the nick of time.

…

The show was all a blur for Santana since she the only thing she had on her mind was the prolonged talk with Brittany. Since they had returned from the beach, the blonde had gone MIA. Santana didn't see her after her sound check and she didn't show up for their pre-show hang out. When the brunette went looking, she couldn't find the girl anywhere. Santana tried to ignore her absence but she couldn't deny that it only made her more nervous for what she was planning after the show. Her six-song set seemed to fly by while Pink's seemed to drag on. Time was playing tricks on the brunette when all she wanted to do was fast-forward to the final bow.

Once Santana was finally free from the stage and was heading to the bus, she called Brittany to find out where she was. The blonde told her she was still packing up in her dressing room and Santana asked if she'd meet her at the small park across the street from the venue. Slightly confused, the blonde agreed before hanging up.

…

Brittany crossed the street to see Santana sitting on a swing, kicking the wood chips in front of her. When the brunette saw the familiar silhouette figure coming towards her, she stood up and met her half way.

"Listen, I need to talk to you," she confessed.

"So do I."

Santana paused and was taken aback by the blonde's tone. It sounded like she had something just as important to talk about.

"Okay...well can I go first? If I don't get this off my chest I might combust."

Brittany nodded and took a step forward, locking eyes with the girl in front of her.

"I can't even believe I waited this long to say anything. I think you know what's coming…we've been putting this off for so long. Neither of us want to admit it but what we've been doing is...unordinary, to say the least," Santana's voice wavered and she paused for a second before continuing.

"But Brittany, that doesn't change the fact that I am crazy about you. I've never felt like this before. You...you make me nervous. You give me butterflies. You make me want to be _better_. When I'm with you I'm happy...so happy that it scares me. It scares me because I know that there's someone else. I can't keep going on like this without knowing where you stand- where _we_stand," Santana said with emphasis. She bit her lip to stop it from quivering and pressed on.

"But this is me, telling you that I want you; all of you. Not just half, not just the Brittany on tour; I want _you_."

The desperation was audible in her voice. Santana searched for a reaction in the blonde's eyes but saw nothing. It seemed like she was still taking in the speech that the brunette had just laid on her.

"Please say something," Santana pleaded.

Brittany took another step closer and grabbed Santana's hands, removing all space between them. Her blue eyes turned soft and she smiled ecstatically.

"I want you too, San. So much. That's why I talked to Adam today...and why I kind of disappeared after the beach. It's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm going to end it with him."

"Really?" Santana said, trying not to get her hopes up.

"Yes. It's the only thing that was holding me back, S. I've been obsessing over you since the first day I met you." Brittany said, her cheeks turning red with blush. "When I spoke to Adam I told him that I think we should see other people."

"What did he say? How did he take it?" Santana said anxiously, dying to hear the rest of the story.

"Not good...not good at all. He didn't want to break up," Brittany said shaking her head.

"I have every intention of ending it with him but after everything we've been through, I feel like it would be wrong to do it over the phone. I, I don't want to hurt him any more than necessary, San. He owes a better explanation...one in person."

The blonde could see the panic in Santana's eyes and she squeezed her hands for reassurance before continuing.

"So for now we're on a break and we're free to see other people. When I get home for the two week break, I'm going to end it for good."

"Okay...that's not for another month..." Santana said, still trying to process everything she just heard. "So what does this mean for us?"

"It means we can be together...only if you want to."

A fifty-pound weight seemed to be lifted from Santana's shoulders as she heard the words she had been craving since the first time she laid eyes on Brittany. It only took about a half a second for her lips to come crashing into the blonde's. This kiss felt different than the others; it felt like the first time; like the start of something brilliant. A spark ignited between their lips and the current fueled their passion even more. Brittany's hands cupped Santana's face and she pulled the brunette even closer, trying to make up for the agony she knew she had put the girl through.

"Of course I want to," Santana said smiling as she finally pulled away.

"Good because I don't think I could stand hiding much longer," Brittany said before leaning in to kiss her again.


	6. Chapter 6

**Friday, May 18th  
><strong>**Show #10: Atlanta**

"So? What happened?" Pink asked, nudging Santana before sitting down in the chair next to her.

"So...I did it," she replied with a smirk as she turned her attention from applying her make up to the spunky blonde.

"You did? You're together?"

"Yep!"

"Thank God. When I didn't hear from you I thought for sure you dicked out. You know for a second there, Santana, I was worried I was gonna have to kick your ass."

"That won't be necessary," the brunette said, beaming.

"Good. Where is that girl, anyway? Don't you guys usually hang out before you go on stage?"

"Yeah...she's with Erin and Courtney right now, though. Some kind of costume emergency."

"Hm. Maybe I should look into that..." Pink's mind wandered to try and figure out which costume they could be dealing with. Her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. "Well I gotta run...Greg's calling. Break a leg out there!"

"Thanks. See you for Perfect?" Santana asked, referring to their final duet.

"You know it!"

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, May 19th<br>****Show #11: Richmond, VA**

Walking off stage, Santana was greeted by the open arms of Brittany who had been watching her set enthusiastically. Since the first night of the tour, the blonde hadn't missed one of Santana's performances. She didn't plan on ever missing one either. Watching Santana perform each night was a guilty pleasure of hers since she still considered herself to be the brunette's number one fan. Now that they were exclusive, Brittany was even more excited to watch her performance knowing that she would get to kiss those talented lips each time she got off stage.

Santana glided through the hallways backstage with pep in her step. With Brittany's hand proudly intertwined with hers, everything felt right. Through the walls, Artie's set echoed and Santana hummed along as they made their way to the dressing room where Puck and Sam were hanging out with Courtney and Erin while they got ready for their performance.

Brittany and Santana walked through the doors of the room to see the girls doing their makeup while the boys were lounging on the big comfy chairs. Their presence didn't turn any heads since the couple had announced earlier in the day that they were officially together. The news didn't surprise anyone and Artie's comment of, "it's about time," pretty much summed up everyone's reaction.

Santana took a seat on the couch and put on her favorite playlist while Brittany joined Courtney and Erin at the mirror to touch up her eye shadow. Every so often, the brunette could sense Brittany's gaze from across the room. Since they took their relationship public, the blonde wasn't shy about her gestures. The reserved Brittany was gone and she now had 100% of her attention on Santana, which the brunette didn't mind in the slightest.

During Pink's set, Santana was still just as captivated by Brittany's dancing...but she now noticed that she felt different watching her on stage. As the blonde swayed, popped, and moon walked across the floor, her feeling of distant longing turned into one of overwhelming excitement.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, May 20th: Day off<strong>

"Stop it!" Brittany squealed as Santana's hands wandered higher on her stomach.

"Stop what?" she replied with a smirk.

"You know what. That tickles."

Despite the blonde's request, Santana continued to trail her fingertips over the spots on Brittany's flat stomach where she knew she could get the girl to squirm the most.

"Santana!" she called out between fits of laughter. Brittany tried to compose herself and catch her breath so she could put up a fight. She knew she was much stronger than Santana, she just liked to let the brunette think otherwise. As soon as Santana began to ease up, Brittany made her move; she used her strength to swiftly roll over and pin the brunette down on the bed beneath her.

"That's it, you're gonna pay," Brittany said before planting a wet kiss on Santana's lips.

* * *

><p><strong>Tuesday, May 22nd<br>****Show #13: Atlantic City**

It was a perfect afternoon. The girls had grabbed lunch together after strolling around the downtown area and were now sitting across from each other at the kitchen table of Santana's bus. Brittany was leaning against the wall, stretching her legs across the seat while reading her favorite book, The Hunger Games and Santana was organizing her collection of recently recorded songs. The two sat in silence and every few minutes, Santana could feel Brittany's eyes weighing heavily on her.

Brittany couldn't help herself; everything about the girl made her want stare forever. The way her hair fell perfectly on her shoulders, the way her lips would naturally pout, just asking to be kissed, the way her brow tensed while concentrating on a song, the way her nose wrinkled after hearing something she didn't like, the way her contagious smile could instantly put one on her face; it all hypnotized Brittany and she couldn't keep her eyes away.

"You know I hate it when you do that," Santana said, not even looking up from the track she was mixing on Garage Band.

"Do what?"

"Stare at me like that...like I'm going to disappear or something."

"It's not like kinda stare."

"Oh yeah?" Santana said with a curious smile. She peered over her laptop to lock eyes with the blonde. "What kind of stare is it?"

"It's a I-think-you're-beautiful kind of stare. I'm just enjoying the view, that's all."

Santana felt her cheeks redden with flush and she smiled sheepishly. She loved and hated the effect the blonde had over her at the same time; just one compliment from Brittany made her feel like a middle school teen with a secret crush all over again.

The brunette closed her laptop halfway and stood up, leaning over the table to give Brittany a kiss. It was quick, but deep, and when their lips separated Brittany pulled Santana closer for another.

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday, May 24th<br>****Show #14: Philadelphia**

"Hey, I think I saw some people in the crowd singing along to 'Faster' tonight," Brittany said with her head resting against Santana's shoulder.

The two were exhausted after a press day of tour. Before the show, Santana had her first real photo shoot and was interviewed by a couple of reporters for a music magazine. It was all really exciting and new for 'the rising star,' as the interviewers so nicely called her...but now, laying in her bunk next to Brittany, she was fighting back constant yawns. They had just returned to the bus after their show in Philadelphia and were about to leave for the six-hour overnight trip to Boston.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, and it wasn't just the chorus either. They knew the verses."

"Really? How would they know the words already?"

"I think someone's been putting videos from your set on YouTube."

"That's pretty fucking cool."

"Isn't it? I like people singing along to our song."

"Me too, B."

"Maybe it's other couples' song now, too."

"Maybe," Santana said as she leaned down to kiss the top of Brittany's head.

The two laid in silence for a while, just enjoying the warmth that radiated from each other's bodies. Brittany was starting to doze off when Santana brought her back to reality.

"You know, we'll be in New York in a couple of days. Are you gonna see your mom and dad?"

"I don't know yet. They know about the shows and I got them tickets for the second show."

"Do you think they'll go?"

"My mom will but I doubt my dad will even acknowledge that I'm back in New York. I think my mom wants to have lunch one of the days, though."

"Are you gonna go?"

"I don't know, San. I want to see her but I don't want to be reminded of what they think of my career. If I go I know she'll just try to persuade me to come home and get a real job. I know I'll leave upset."

"Well you don't have to go."

"I know. But part of me wants to just so I can prove to her wrong. I can't be on tour forever but when this is over, dancing will still be my profession. Whether it's working at an academy or dancing on Broadway; this is what I do. I want to show them that this isn't a joke...I just don't know what it'll take."

"Yeah, I know. Parents can be stubborn as hell. Maybe they still need time. I'm sure they'll come around eventually."

"I don't know."

"Well, you still have a couple of days to decide. I can go with, if you want."

"That's okay, babe. I don't want to subject you to that type of thing just yet," Brittany said, wrapping her arm tighter over the brunette's waist. "But thanks for saying that."

"Mhmm," she replied, feeling the weight of sleep heavy behind her eyelids. Brittany propped herself up on her forearm and kissed Santana on the side of mouth. Then she cuddled closer to the brunette and her head found its place in the crook of her neck. Santana dozed off with a smile still lingering on her face.

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, May 25th<br>****Show #15: Boston**

"You're such a pussy," Santana said to Pink who was refusing the last shot of tequila.

"What? I just took two in a row. That third one might kill me if I take it now."

"Fine, I'll take it then," Santana offered before downing the last shot. "Do you always get drunk when you write?"

"Not always. It doesn't hurt, though. I wrote 'So What' when I was hammered." Pink said with a chuckle.

"Alright then. Let's see what we come up with."

The two took a seat on the much more luxurious couch within Pink's bus. They had been talking about writing a song together for a while and were now finally getting around to it. Over the next couple of hours, they passed the bottle of tequila back and fourth, throwing ideas off each other until they settled on the perfect lyrics.

By the time they finished the song that they titled, "Glitter In the Air," it was four in the morning and they had just arrived in New York.

"Damn. This is actually really good. Like, really, really good," Santana said as she reviewed the final product that was scribbled down on a piece of paper.

"I know, but fuck, we're gonna regret this tomorrow," Pink said, stumbling as she stood up to get a glass of water.

"Seriously. I'm gonna sleep until it's time for sound check."

"Good call."

"I'm gonna head back to my bus. When should we debut this gem?"

"Maybe here? Tomorrow's show? New York would be the perfect place to sing it for the first time. I'll make up sheet music for my piano man. We could do it before Perfect."

"Sounds good to me! See ya tomorrow," Santana said as she walked off the bus to see they were, in fact, in New York City. They were parked behind the venue in a closed off area reserved for the fleet of buses, but she could still hear the distinct sounds of the bustling city as clear as day.

She had never been to New York before but had wanted to since she was little. Given her state of intoxication, she suddenly had the urge to explore. Feeling the energy of the concrete jungle calling her name, she ventured out on the streets with the full intention of getting lost and finding her way back.

As she wandered, she let her mind do the same. With each block, she could feel herself becoming more and more relaxed; more and more liberated. The towering buildings above her created a strange but comforting feeling of security. The glowing lights of the theaters, restaurants and structures overwhelmed her senses while the constant noises of the cabs and people around her seemed to have a calming effect. As Santana walked, she couldn't help but feel like she was home.

When she returned, it was nearly seven in the morning. Staying up all night before the biggest show of the tour to date may not have been the best idea...but when Santana fell asleep with a clear head and new found inspiration from the city of dreams, it all seemed worth it.

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, May 26th<br>****Show #16: NYC**

Brittany made her way back to the bus after lunch with her mother was cut short. Afraid she wouldn't be able to make it through a phone call without crying, she sent Santana a text asking her to meet her halfway. Even though Santana was sound asleep trying to recover from her all nighter, the ringing from her phone woke her up and sent her scrambling to find Brittany on the streets of New York without hesitation. The place they were having lunch wasn't too far away, so Santana found the fragile blonde fairly quickly.

"What happened?" Santana said, hugging her tightly. She let go and examined Brittany who was on the brink of a breakdown.

"My dad showed up too. It was worse than I thought. We didn't even get the chance to order our food before we started fighting."

"Aw babe, I'm so sorry," Santana said, taking a step closer and placing her hand on Brittany's cheek.

"They told me I was throwing my life away. I should've known not to go."

"Britt, you're not throwing your life away. You know that, I know that, and everyone in the crew knows that. Who cares what your parents think? They don't know the first thing about what you do."

"I know…I know that. But they're my mom and dad, ya know? I just want them to be proud of me."

"I know, B."

"Before I left I gave them the tickets to the show tomorrow. If they don't come, I'm done with them."

Santana nodded in agreement as she pulled the blonde close and began walking back to the bus. Brittany was so worked up and angry about the situation she couldn't even cry. But as Santana held her, the dancer could feel herself becoming more relaxed just from the brunette's contact.

"Pink and I wrote a song last night," Santana said, trying to change the subject in hopes of brightening Brittany's spirit.

"Did you really? What's it called?"

"Glitter In the Air. It's a perfect combo of our music styles. I think we're gonna play it tonight."

"Good, I could use something to look forward to," Brittany said, showing a cheeky grin. "I can't wait to hear it."

…

Pink and Santana made their way to the middle of the stage and faced the deafening crowd. Usually at this point in the show, they would start singing the closing number, "Fucking Perfect," but instead, Pink introduced their new song.

"You guys are a lucky crowd tonight," Pink said, causing the fans to erupt into even louder cheers.

"You guys get to be the first to hear a brand new song. My good friend Santana and I wrote this one last night. You remember Santana, don't you? She's amazing. Give it up for Santana Lopez," Pink said, making the brunette on stage next to her turn red as the arena applauded just for her. "Remember the name, folks! She's gonna be big. This song means a lot to us so we hope you enjoy it. It's called Glitter In the Air."

Pink turned to her band member on the piano and cued him to start playing. The opening notes of the song began and Santana sang the first verse. Building up to the chorus, Pink layered each lyric with a beautiful harmony until their voices became one and sang in perfect unison. They alternated verses from then on, and the balance of their solos and breath-taking harmonization sent the crowd to their feet. Even though it was a slower song, it didn't stop the fans from showing their support and excitement. Santana didn't think venue could get any louder, but when they finished the last line, her eardrums ached from the screams of thousands of passionate fans.

They quickly transitioned into their routine performance of "Perfect," and when Brittany's hand found Santana's during her solo of the bridge, Santana was convinced it couldn't get better than this.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, May 27th<br>****Show # 17: NYC**

"Did they show?" Santana asked once they got off stage after the final bow.

"I...I don't think so. I thought at least my mom would come."

"Come here," Santana said, sensing the threat of tears creeping up on the blonde. Brittany walked into her open arms and cried, letting the disappointment flow out of her in the comfort of Santana's embrace.

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, June 1st<br>****Show #18: Cleveland**

Brittany picked at her pancakes while Santana sipped her chocolate milkshake. After the concert, the two headed out to a nearby Denny's for some late night grub. Although the show went well, Santana couldn't shake the feeling of restlessness she had been experiencing all day. She knew it had something to do with the fact that Adam had been texting Brittany periodically through the day, but she tried to push her jealously aside.

"Ughh it's Adam again," Brittany said as she checked her phone.

"What does he want?"

"I don't know. I think he's drunk."

"Just ignore him," Santana said, trying to hide her obvious annoyance.

"I am but he keeps texting."

Santana shrugged and decided to drop it, knowing that if she said anything now in her clouded state of irritation she would just end up regretting it later.

The two finished their meal and began walking back to the bus, hand in hand. Even though Santana didn't want to bring Adam up again, she couldn't contain her curiosity.

"Why were you with him for so long if you were never really happy?" she asked, turning to face Brittany. The blonde paused before answering, taken aback by the bluntness of the question.

"I wasn't always unhappy. In the beginning our relationship was good, great even...but when he got comfortable things started taking a turn for the worse. I kept thinking I could change him...like I could somehow turn him into the guy that I first met when everything was better."

"Did it ever work?"

"Yes and no. Every time we almost broke up he'd swear to change...and for a while he would, but eventually he would just go back to acting the same. I just fell into the pattern."

"Hm. I see," Santana said, wrapping her arm around the taller girl's waist. "Good thing you don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Good thing," Brittany replied with a half smile before gently kissed the brunette who was tangled up in her arms.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, June 3rd: Day off<strong>

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOPEZ!" Puck screamed as he flung open the curtain of her bunk to find an frazzled, angry, and half-asleep Santana staring back at him.

"What the fuck, Puckerman? It's like 9 AM!"

"I know, right? Rise and shine and greet the day."

"No way. I'm sleeping in on my birthday," she said as she rolled over.

"I don't think you're gonna wanna do that. Brittany asked me to wake you up. I think she's got something planned."

Within seconds, Santana was up and moving. She jumped in the shower and got ready in a total of twenty minutes, which was pretty speedy for the girl. After putting on a green skirt with a black belt and a white top, Santana made her way to the kitchen to put on some makeup. As she put on her foundation while sitting at the table, she braced herself for what felt like 20 questions with Noah Puckerman. He was nearing the end of his little game and it seemed like he saved the juiciest question for last.

"So have you guys gotten it on yet?"

"What?"

"Ya know, have you guys done the dirty?"

"Oh right...no not yet."

"What in God's name are you waiting for woman?"

"I don't know. It's different with her."

"Damn. You sound like Sam," Puck said, shaking his head.

"I know, but it's true. When it happens I want it to be perfect."

"Well, props to you. I don't think I could've waited this long with a girl that hot."

"Watch yourself, Puckerman."

"Just saying'. You must really like her."

"Yeah, I do," Santana said in the most honest way possible. Her sincerity took Puck by surprise, only because he wasn't used to hearing her talk that way about anyone. With that, he left the brunette to finish getting ready and went back to sleep.

Santana finished applying her mascara and thought about what Brittany could have planned. Since they had made the drive from Columbus to St. Louis overnight, Santana wondered what there was to do for fun in the small city...especially this early in the morning.

A knock on the door of the bus snapped Santana out of her daydream and brought her to her feet. She opened the door and was greeted by a tight hug from the excited blonde who was wearing a yellow top and skinny jeans.

"Happy birthday, San!" she said with her arms still around her. She pulled away and kissed Santana passionately like she had been waiting to do since the last time she saw her. While their lips moving heatedly with delicate precision, Brittany could feel herself getting carried away. Santana laughed at the girl's persistence when their lips finally parted.

"Thanks, babe."

"Are you ready?"

"I think so. Where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise. You like surprises, don't you?"

"Not really," Santana said before she could stop herself. "But I like you, so I'm sure I'll like this one."

"Good. Let's go," Brittany said with a satisfied smile as she pulled Santana around the bus to see a cab waiting for them.

...

The first stop of the day was breakfast. Brittany took them to a small, old-fashioned diner that was totally Santana's style. Old records and other memorabilia hung from the walls and the waitresses all wore roller-skates.

"I've only seen places like this in movies," Santana said as she admired her surroundings.

"It's pretty cool, isn't it?"

"Totally. How'd you find out about it?"

"I have my sources," Brittany said with a smirk.

"Oh, do you now?"

"Yep. Mostly Google," she admitted, causing both of them to erupt with laughter.

...

After breakfast, they took off in the cab to head to their next destination. When they arrived, Santana stepped out to see they were at the St. Louis Zoo and her jaw dropped in astonishment.

"How'd you know I like going to the zoo?" she said to Brittany who was now at her side.

"Remember? You told me how you used to go all the time with your dad when you were younger."

Santana tried to recall mentioning it but she couldn't. Of all the conversations and stories they had told each other she couldn't believe Brittany had remembered something so random and minuet.

"You're amazing."

"I know," the blonde said with a smile. She took Santana's hand and led her through the gates. "Come on, let's see the lions first."

...

A couple of hours later, they had finished their tour of the zoo. Santana enjoyed every minute of walking through the exhibits, holding Brittany's hand and reminiscing about the times when she would come with her father. It was three o'clock and Santana would have been happy ending the day there, but the blonde still had more in store.

"There's more?"

"Yep! We gotta hurry, though, or else we're going to miss the start."

The two girls hoped in the cab and headed to the next activity of the day.

"You know, you really don't have to do anything more for me," Santana said after a while of staring out the window.

"I know, San. But I want to. And I know you'll like this too," Brittany said, scooting over so they were now touching in the back seat. She leaned in and kissed the blonde, pulling back suddenly when she realized they had arrived.

"We're here!" she said, pointing to Busch Stadium as they drove up to the curve.

"Holy shit, B! A Cardinals game? Versus the Dodgers?" Santana practically yelled when she looked at the ticket Brittany placed in her lap.

"Yep!"

"But you don't like baseball," the brunette said as she got out of the car. Brittany paid the driver quickly and met Santana at the foot of the curb.

"I don't _like_ baseball but I don't _hate _baseball. And besides, this day is about you," Brittany put her hands on Santana's cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss. "Not to mention you're really cute when you get excited. I've never seen you more riled up then when you watch the Dodgers."

Santana laughed and nodded, knowing it was true. Her love for baseball went back for years...ever since her days of softball. She didn't play in high school since cheerleading took up most of her time, but in the summer, travel ball consumed her weekends. Eventually, she chose to give up the game to pursue music, but her passion for the sport lived on through watching baseball.

The two girls made their way inside and found their seats behind Dodger's dugout. Over the nine innings that followed, Santana was in her own personal paradise. With Brittany's arm looped through hers and her favorite team scoring the winning in the top of the ninth, she couldn't have asked for a better game.

...

"How did you even begin to plan all of that?" Santana asked when they finally arrived back at the venue after grabbing dinner. "Seriously, this day was perfect."

"I can be a pretty thorough planner when I wanna be," Brittany teased as she followed Santana into her bus. "But really, the baseball game was luck. They happened to be in town the same day. When I found out about it a couple of weeks ago I knew I had to get tickets."

"Well, thank you so much. I think today was the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."

Brittany smiled and took a step closer. She cradled Santana's face in her hands and kissed her softly as if to say you're welcome.

The buzzing of Santana's phone startled them both.

"Oh, God. It's Puck," she said, showing Brittany the incoherent text message.

_We jus went outt to some bar? Dont knw when we be bak._

Brittany giggled and Santana quickly typed one back as she took a seat on the couch.

_Jesus, Puck it's only 9:00! Take it easy. Call me if you need me._

As soon as she put down her phone, her eyes were immediately drawn to the blonde who was walking towards her with a seductive look on her face. Brittany straddled the girl in front of her and was now sitting on her lap. Their faces were just inches apart and Brittany moved her head closer so their noses touched briefly.

"So we have the place to ourselves?" she asked, trailing kisses down Santana's cheek. She put her hand under the brunette's chin and titled it up so their eyes met.

"Mhmm."

"Good," Brittany said with a smirk as she reached to take her shift off. Santana's hands trailed from her the dancers stomach to her back where she unclasped her bra. Brittany smiled even wider as she untucked Santana's shirt and pulled it off over her shoulders. Their lips met in a haste and the brunette scooched to the edge of the couch and motioned for Brittany to get up. They stood in unison, lips still crashing together as they stripped bare on the way to the bunk.

Once in bed, things only heated up and their hands moved faster, exploring each other's bodies for the first time. Santana knew how to make Brittany moan for more and each lowering touch from the blonde sent shivers down Santana's spine. Feeling the brunette's body quake, Brittany flipped Santana on her back and began to take control.

"Who knew you were a top," Santana smirked.

"There's a lot you still don't know about me," she whispered back.

"Well show me, then," the brunette provoked, and Brittany obliged willingly.

…

"Looks like someone got lucky!" Puck slurred as he, Sam and Artie walked on the bus around 2 AM to see the trail of Santana and Brittany's clothes that led from the couch to her bed. The blonde tried to contain her giggling as she cuddled close to Santana.

"Yeah, yeah, go to sleep drunkass," Santana said from behind the curtain of her bunk.

"Whatever you say, birthday girl," he responded before tripping over an piece of clothing and landing flat on his face. The girls couldn't see the spectacle, but hearing it was enough to make them form tears of laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, June 10th: Day off <strong>

By the time the group of buses finally arrived in Toronto, everyone was anxious to go out. They had spent the day driving and wanted to do nothing more than let loose. For the last hour or so, the crew of seven had been pregraming in the dancers' bus. Santana was already feeling pretty buzzed but so was everyone else. The minute the bus was put in park, the seven filed out the door and headed to find the nearest club.

It only took about ten minutes to search out a place that looked like would be a good time. As soon as they walked in the door, Puck ordered the group's usual drinks. They found a table and took a seat, evaluating the atmosphere around them. There weren't many people on the dance floor, but with one look at Brittany, Santana knew they could change that easily.

After a while, Erin dragged her boyfriend to dance and Santana laughed at Sam's unamused face. On the other hand, Puck willingly joined Courtney to the dance floor with the help of the two drinks he had finished since arriving at the club.

Brittany and Santana stayed at the table while they finished their drinks. Once Brittany's favorite song started playing, she instantly made her way to the floor, bringing the brunette with her. The two fell into their usual and natural rhythm of Brittany leading and Santana following eagerly.

No longer did Santana have to worry about experiencing the dreaded déjà vu that she encountered the first two nights they went out together. These days, Brittany and Santana had a hard time keeping their hands and lips off each other on the dance floor. It was way too easy for Santana to get lost in the feeling of the blonde's hips grinding against hers. She couldn't help but bury her face in the crook of Brittany's neck and place kisses all the way up her defined cheekbone.

Santana could feel the dancer's breathing quicken as her moving lips inched closer to her mouth. Unable to wait any longer, Brittany turned her cheek and their lips collided with a spark that ignited their wandering hands.

"Get a room!" Puck yelled from a couple of feet away. Santana turned to give him the finger and the two girls laughed uncontrollably.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, June 13th<br>****Show #25: Toronto**

"Ya know, this line means you're going to live for a long time," Brittany said as she investigated the lines on Santana's hand.

"Oh yeah? Where did you learn that?" the brunette asked, playing along with the dancer's antics.

"My aunt is this awesome fortune teller. She taught me how to read palms last summer...but she swore me to secrecy," Brittany said in a serious tone as she began to run her finger over the longest horizontal line on Santana's hand. "This one means you're going to have a happy love life."

"What does your say?"

"My line is the same except it's curved at the end. I forget what that means..." she said as she tried to recall the details of her aunt's teachings.

"I got a feeling it means you're going to have a really happy love life."

"Why's that? Is your aunt a psychic too?" she asked. Santana laughed and shook her head no before taking Brittany's hand in hers.

"Because you deserve it. You don't need to read palms to know that."

Brittany smiled and gave her a kiss without even thinking. The gesture was so second nature that Santana couldn't help but smile in return.

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday, June 14th<br>****Show #26: Montreal**

Santana couldn't believe that she had already played 26 shows. The Funhouse Tour was almost halfway over and the sheer thought of it ending made her feel depressed. Sure, there was the recording of her sophomore album to look forward to, but being in the studio could not compare to her new obsession of tour life.

Her addiction to the energy she received from performing each night only got worse with each show. After every performance, she replayed the set in her mind and tried to figure out what she should do differently next time that would make the performance even better.

As the shows went on, her set list began changing more frequently. "Love On the Rocks" and "Faster" were always kept in the mix, but the other four songs changed frequently. She and the band picked up on different covers and put their own spin on popular songs. Per Sam's request, they covered Paramore's "Hallelujah" while Puck chose Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me," which was a huge crowd pleaser.

As she expected, Santana's writing habits had increased in quality and quantity since she and Brittany had become official. Her latest song, "Breathe In, Breathe Out," showed a new writing style that incorporated more advanced guitar rifts and vocal layering. Even Pink admitted that they were all watching Santana become a better musician by the day. It was a huge compliment coming from the superstar, and Santana appreciated the fact that they were the type of friends who could motivate each other to become better performers.

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, June 18th<br>****Show #28: Vancouver**

"Look at those!" Brittany said as she pointed to two matching bracelets that were on the display case of the counter at some random store in Vancouver. On the silver chain of each piece of jewelry there was a small, heart shaped charm. Santana had to admit, for a dinky gift shop, the bracelets were pretty cute.

"Let's get them," she said, turning to the blonde who was holding and admiring them.

"Really?"

Santana took the bracelets from Brittany's grasp and handed them to the cashier before either of them could change their mind. "Definitely."

After paying for the jewelry, Santana put on Brittany's before putting on her own. The two left the shop hand in hand, listening to the chiming noise the bracelets made as they bumped against each other.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, June 26th<br>****Show #33: Las Vegas**

_You're sweet, like I can't deny__  
><em>_You say it to me and you only use your eyes__  
><em>_So come here, don't move__  
><em>_I've got a lot of heart growing heavier for you _

_Stay beside me, let me be your thrill__  
><em>_The rush of feeling moving while we're still__  
><em>_Between us like it's far too strong to break  
>Too wild to take, deep as the dark<em>_  
><em>_True like your name_

_The sparks in your touch, I'm playing with fire__  
><em>_You're never too much, I am entirely in__  
><em>_Love is the worst, you can't explain__  
><em>_But once you feel it inside you're not the same__  
><em>_I climbed so high that I can't find the air_

Santana put her pen down and exhaled deeply. Once she reread the lyrics she had just written, it hit her like a fucking ton of bricks; she was in love.

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, June 30th<br>****Show #35: Salt Lake City**

In the back of the cab, Santana and Brittany held hands all the way to the airport. They had just finished their last show of the US part of the tour and were headed to the Salt Lake City airport to fly home. Brittany's redeye to New York left at midnight while Santana's flight to LA left at 11:30.

Rushed for time, they checked their bags and made it through security as quickly as possible. They arrived at Santana's terminal with fifteen minutes to spare before the flight boarded. As they sat there anxiously, the girls went over their plan for the next two weeks at least four times. They agreed to talk to each other on the phone every day and would probably be texting nonstop...but Santana couldn't deny that she was feeling uneasy about the confrontation with Adam. She was worried that his manipulative ways would make it hard for Brittany to stand her ground. As much as she trusted Brittany, she sure as hell didn't trust Adam.

Adam was finishing up his internship in LA and would arrive back in New York on the 7th, which is when Brittany would talk to him and break it off for good. Just as they planned, Brittany would then catch a flight back to LA and spend the rest of the break with Santana in her cozy apartment that she'd heard so much about. On July 16th they would meet the rest of the crew at LAX for the flight to Dublin where they would have their first overseas show.

"Now boarding flight number 324 to Los Angeles," the overhead speaker blared, interrupting their conversation. Santana stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She took a step closer to Brittany and grabbed both her hands tightly.

"I love you," she said confidently. Although she had never said those words to her out loud before, she realized that she had always meant them.

"I love you, too," Brittany replied with ease. A wave of comfort rushed over Santana after hearing those three simple words. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Brittany hard, closing her eyes and soaking in the feeling of their lips pressed against each other. She pulled away and began to walk backwards, holding onto Brittany's hand for as long as possible.

Santana handed the woman her boarding pass and when she looked back at Brittany, the blonde gave her a weak smile and waved goodbye.

...

* * *

><p>I know I said I'd be better about updating...so I'm sorry this took longer than I expected! And I know a whole lot didn't happen in this chapter...but everybody loves adorable, happy Brittana, right?<p>

New songs in this chapter are "Glitter In the Air," which is actually by Pink, just without the help of a fictional character, of course… then there's "Breathe In, Breathe Out" by Mat Kearney and "True Like Your Name" by Steve Moakler.

Thanks to those readers who have stuck with the story! All of the reviews/story alerts/basically anything that sends me an email make me super happy. You guys are the best.

I'm going back to school tomorrow and the first week or so is gonna be really crazy. I'll try my best to keep the updates coming but they might take a while! Bear with me.


	7. Chapter 7

**Friday, July 6th**

"You always fall asleep first!" Santana whined at the other end of the phone. As usual, the tone of the singer's voice instantly put a smile on Brittany's face and she forced herself to stay awake for just a little bit longer.

Given the situation with her parents, Brittany was staying with her friend from high school named Quinn. She was only going to be there for a few days since she was going to LA on Sunday to see Santana, so Quinn was happy to have her.

So far, the break from tour had been pretty relaxing for the two girls. Santana spent most of it in her cozy apartment or down the street at her favorite bar with Puck and their friends. Since the start of tour, she noticed things at home were a bit different. Some of her friends had told her that her single was getting more radio play and when she was out around town, she was recognized by fans more frequently than before. The effects of fame were slowly starting to set in and Santana had to pinch herself everyday to make it all seem real.

Break for Brittany was a little more stressful. The anticipation of her talk with Adam kept her anxiety levels high and most days she desperately looked for things to do to keep her mind off the dreaded encounter. She caught up with Quinn and spent the majority of her time choreographing new dances at the familiar studio she used to go to. The best part of her day was hearing Santana's voice on the phone. Each night they talked and talked until one of them fell asleep. No matter how hard she tried, Brittany always drifted off first.

"It's just so much later here, S," the blonde persisted in between yawns.

"I know, I know. I just miss you."

"Me too. But at least I get to see you in two days!" Brittany said with sleepy enthusiasm.

"I know, I'm counting down the hours," Santana replied and she smiled as she heard the blonde's soft giggle. "I'll let you go to bed, though. When do you see him tomorrow, again?"

"I'm going to stop by his place around two."

"Alright...well call me after, okay?"

"I will, babe. I love you."

"I love you too," Santana said and she hung up. As she put down her phone, she sat grabbed her guitar and pushed away her looming insecurities to the same place in her mind that harbored her jealousy. Sleep wasn't something that would come easy tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, July 7th<strong>

Santana sat down at the bench of her old piano and nervously fidgeted with the keys. She played around with the black and whites and eagerly waited to hear from Brittany. The anticipation was driving her crazy and her fingers moved faster as her mind became more and more restless.

It was one o'clock her time which meant it was four in New York. This talk couldn't take more than two hours, could it? No. There's no way, she thought as her muscle memory dialed Brittany's number. The sound of her voicemail made Santana's heart rate quicken and she couldn't find the words to leave a message. Instead, her fingers raced and she sent her a text.

_What happened? Call me, B!_

Time dragged on and it was now seven o'clock, New York time. Santana tried to talk herself down. Brittany probably just got caught up with some old friends, right? She probably just lost track of time. Santana knew she had the tendency to blow things out of proportion so she didn't want to over react. This was probably one of those times her mind was getting carried away. Santana convinced herself this was the case and went over to Puck's in an attempt to distract herself.

...

Six beers, two shots, and four hours later, Santana was a nervous wreck. She still hadn't heard a word from Brittany and with each passing minute, she could feel her emotions boiling over. Calling was useless since she just got her voicemail every time. Texting was her only option so she sent a couple intermittently throughout the night.

_You're scaring me. Please call me._

Puck wasn't sure what to do. He had never seen Santana in such a fragile and vulnerable state. He knew the alcohol was only making it worse, but even then, he was still worried. Over the years of their friendship, he'd witnessed plenty of Santana's ups and downs...but this low point couldn't be compared to any down he had ever seen. She wasn't even crying, she was just on edge; like one wrong word would release an avalanche of tears and misery. As Puck tried to comfort his best friend, he realized that the fears he had at the start of her relationship with the dancer were coming true.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, July 8th<strong>

Brittany's flight was supposed to arrive at 11 AM. It was noon now and what-if scenarios were flying through Santana's mind. She tried to come up with excuses for Brittany that would justify her actions over the last 24 hours. Maybe one of her parents got sick? Maybe she got hurt dancing at the studio? Maybe something happened with Quinn? The more Santana thought about it, the more silly it all seemed. She knew none of those things happened, but she couldn't bring herself to admit what it all meant.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, July 10th<strong>

Santana felt like she had been awake for three days straight. In reality, she had gotten some sleep...but the combination of her nerves and worry were playing tricks on her body. She was exhausted, stuck in a state of torment, and wanted nothing more than to hear from Brittany. Even if it wasn't the news she wanted; Santana felt having closure would be better than waiting.

Even though they were never answered or returned, the outgoing calls to the blonde never stopped. Santana called Mike a couple of times but he was virtually helpless. Besides providing the small detail that Brittany was, in fact, alive and walking about the streets of New York, he couldn't give much more than that. He was visiting friends out of state and had only talked to Brittany a couple times and she never mentioned her encounter with Adam.

Out of answers, Santana searched for some form of relief any way she could. Usually, at a time like this, she'd turn to her piano or guitar for comfort...but for some reason, her loyal instruments did nothing but mock her. Every time she attempted to play them, she couldn't stop her well-trained hands from delivering the countless love songs she had written about Brittany. It was torturous; not even her passion of music could ease her weary mind. Santana was convinced that Brittany was the only person in the entire world that could turn her into such a mess.

As the week dragged on, Santana found that even though her piano and guitar were letting her down, she could still rely on good old-fashioned pen and paper. Santana wrote down anything she could to try and make sense of the situation. Whether it was just her thoughts, poems, or pieces of songs; writing became her saving grace. That, and whiskey.

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, July 12th<strong>

"Lopez, open this door. I know you're in there," Puck said with authority as he pounded his fist against the door of Santana's apartment. After countless ignored phone calls and dodged text messages, he decided to cut the bullshit and just show up. It had been three days since he had heard from Santana and he was starting to get more worried than usual.

Fifteen minutes of banging and yelling passed with no response. Through the door, he heard a ruffled, "Go away, Puckerman," followed by the shuffling of what sounded like furniture.

"Oh, come on, Santana. You know I'm just going to stand here and continue to be annoying until you let me in. Why drag it out?"

The noises behind the door stopped and Puck heard footsteps stomp through the hallway. Without making eye contact with her best friend, Santana flung open the door and quickly returned to what had previously held her attention. Puck took a step into the apartment and realized that the shuffling wasn't coming from furniture, but instead was coming from Santana's suitcases.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Puck asked as Santana dragged her last bag from her bedroom to the living room.

"Why are you all packed and ready? We don't leave till Monday," he inquired further, closing the door.

"Because," she snapped with entitlement as she frantically fished through her backpack.

"Because, why?" he questioned skeptically.

"Because I'm leaving for Dublin from New York. I'm going to see her," Santana said, too distracted to even look up at Puck. She was visibly frustrated as she continued to search through her bag.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"No, Puckerman, I'm not fucking sure of anything. And I can't find my fucking phone. Could you make yourself useful and look in the kitchen?"

Puck silently obeyed and returned ten minutes later, holding her phone in his right hand.

"Do you want to talk about it now?" he asked, calmly.

"I don't know what I want to do. I just don't know, Noah," Santana said as she leaned against the wall of the living room and slowly slid down it. She brought her knees to her chest and cradled her face in her hands. Puck made his way over and slid down next to her.

"Do you think that'll make things better? You're going to see her in a few days regardless," he said with a shrug.

"Probably not. All I know is I just need to see her. I just need to know." Santana lifted her head to lock eyes with Puck. He could hear the pain in her voice and he offered a sympathetic half smile.

"I know."

They sat like that for a while, shoulder-to-shoulder against the wall, not saying a word. With each passing minute, the cloud of doubt grew larger in Santana's mind.

"What am I supposed to do? What if she really chose Adam? How could she do that?"

"I dunno, Santana. It doesn't make sense," Puck said, shaking his head.

"It doesn't make sense," Santana repeated in agreement.

"Women don't make sense," Puck joked as he rolled his eyes. Santana smirked at her friend's pathetic but cute attempt to make her smile. There was too much was running through her head for her to laugh. The idea of having to face Brittany without being able to actually be with Brittany for the reminder for the tour was at the forefront of her concerns.

* * *

><p><strong>Monday, July 16th<strong>

The final days of break passed slowly and Santana was sure she was stuck in her own personal hell. Her heart felt numb. She was pretty sure it wasn't exactly broken yet, just on its way. The uncertainty of what was ahead tossed her heart around like a ragdoll. No matter what she did, her mind would not let herself let go of any shreds of hope that still remained.

When her alarm blared its morning wake up call at 5:00 AM, Santana was already awake. The anticipation of finally seeing Brittany made sleep somewhat impossible. Thanks to her sudden outburst and overreaction from Friday night, her bags were already packed and waiting at the door. She rolled out of bed, took a quick shower, changed, and was out the door by 5:20. Just as she stepped out of her apartment building, a cab with Puck and Sam inside pulled up to the curb.

"Ready for this, Santana?" Sam asked as he opened the car door for her.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she said as she stepped inside.

"Well at least you have an eleven hour flight to look forward to with yours truly," Puck said with enthusiasm and a cocky smile. It was way too early for Santana to be dealing with her ever-so-charming and arrogant best friend.

"Lucky me!" she replied with a taunting smile as she gave Puck a punch on the shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Tuesday, July 17th<strong>

Jet lag was something that Santana had never experienced before. Her body clock was usually off due to her wacky sleeping pattern of staying up late and sleeping in even later...but the eleven-hour flight combined with the time change was already throwing her for a loop.

The flight went smoothly and after the three claimed their baggage, they were off to the first venue. Thankfully, their first show wasn't until tomorrow. Santana had been so distracted over the last few days that she almost forgot about the whole singing on stage part of tour.

The cab dropped the three musicians off behind the venue where the buses were waiting. From all the commotion going on outside, the three assumed they were the last ones to arrive. The crew was busy unloading equipment and stage props from the trucks while their friends were wandering from bus to bus. Santana spotted Mike and her heart dropped. If Mike was there, Brittany was too.

After grabbing her things from the trunk of the cab and assembling them in their assigned bus, Santana went on a mission to find Brittany. As she searched the fenced in area where the fleet of buses resided, she put on a smile for the reunions that followed with her fellow tour mates. With no sign of Brittany, she headed into the venue and made her way backstage.

The longer it took to find the dancer, the more agitated she was getting. As her feet carried her through the hallways, Santana could feel her emotions rattle in the cage where she tried to keep locked up. By the time she found Brittany in an abandoned dressing room, she was visibly upset. Her cheeks were flushed and she seemed to be a bit disheveled.

Santana had to remind herself to breathe, and as she entered the room she noticed Courtney and Erin were there as well. Brittany was sitting at a stool by the mirror and as she saw the brunette walk through the door in the reflection in front of her, she forced herself to avert her eyes.

"Hey! You're here! That means Sam is too!" Erin said as she sprang up from the couch and bolted out the door, anxious to see her boyfriend.

"Guess I'll go say hi to Puck, too," Courtney added, as she sensed the tension between the two girls in front of her. She quickly stood up and chased after her friend, leaving the two alone at last.

Brittany rotated the stool around so she was now facing Santana.

"Hi," she said weakly.

"Do you have anything you want to say to me?" Santana demanded, skipping the awkward small talk. "Do you know these past ten days have been hell for me? Absolute hell."

The blonde nodded, but her eyes were glued to her feet.

"You owe me a fucking explanation, Brittany. I've been nothing but honest with you. And now you owe me the truth," she said as the blonde continued to avert her gaze. Santana could see her blue eyes were getting glassy. "What happened?" Santana asked in a softer voice.

"I...I didn't call because I didn't know how to tell you," Brittany stammered as she got up from the stool and took a few steps closer to the girl in front of her.

"Tell me what?"

"It's him."

"What?"

"It's him," she said again, this time picking up her head to lock eyes fiercely with Santana.

"I heard you, Britt. I just refuse to believe it," Santana said as her voice became panicked. Her fears were confirmed and she couldn't stop herself from getting worked up. "What did he tell you? What did he tell you to change your mind? That things would be different? For the millionth time, Brittany, he's never going to change!"

"You don't know that," the blonde said, shaking her head.

"Yes I do! And so do you!" Santana almost yelled. The sternness of her voice took them both by surprise and Santana took a second to relax. She took a deep breath and continued,

"What about everything you said? What about _us_?" she asked with desperation.

"I don't know...I don't know. I think it's time we face reality," Brittany said bluntly.

"What? What does that even mean? This is reality. We are reality."

"No, it's not. It's like we're in our own little tour bubble. Sleeping in, playing shows, doing what we love everyday with no cares in the world. This is not what real life is like. It's not this easy. It can't be like this forever. Adam is my reality," Brittany said, nodding her head as if she was convincing herself that that was the truth.

"Is that what he told you?" Santana accused.

Brittany's eyes dropped to her feet again and she couldn't muster up a response.

"We're real, Brittany. Everything I said, everything we felt; it's real. How can you not see that?"

The blonde remained stagnant, keeping her eyes transfixed on anything but Santana's. The fact that Brittany wasn't answering or agreeing made Santana feel sick to her stomach.

"Please, Brittany. Please tell me you see it."

Finally their eyes locked and Brittany's began to well up. As tears silently fell down her face she couldn't bring herself to say anything except,

"I'm so sorry."

"How could you do this to me?" Santana said as she shook her head in disbelief and took a couple of steps backwards. Suddenly she felt completely exposed.

"S, I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you," Brittany said as stepped forward and followed Santana while reaching out to comfort her.

"Don't fucking touch me. You don't get to touch me. And you don't get to call me that."

"Santana, please don't do this," she said as the brunette backed away even further.

"I'm not doing anything, Brittany. You're the one that did this. You chose him. Now you're gonna have to live with it," she said as she turned to walk away.

"San, wait!" Brittany pleaded, stopping Santana in her tracks. The brunette turned around briefly to let her finish. "I still love you. You're my best friend. Please don't walk out on me. Please."

"Don't you dare pull that shit on me," Santana said sharply. "You know how I feel about you. I can't just be your friend. You're making me walk out, Brittany," she said as the start of tears formed in her brown eyes.

"Santana-"

"Don't. Just don't," the brunette said as left the dancer alone in the dressing room.

* * *

><p><strong>Monday, July 23rd<br>****Show #39: Manchester**

Avoiding Brittany was nearly impossible. Santana found the only safe place she could go without having to worry about seeing the blonde was in her bus; more specifically, her own bunk.

Each time she saw the blonde, her heart skipped a beat…and not in that cute, fairytale way. Her heart skipped a beat in a panic. Every time the two made eye contact or were even in the same room, Santana didn't know how to handle herself. Part of her wanted to run, just to get out of the Brittany's intoxicating presence and leave this all behind. Another part wanted to make Brittany feel the pain she was experiencing…make her feel the rejection and heartache. And another part, a really small but indisputable part, just wanted to give her a hug. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, there was no off switch for the feelings Santana had for Brittany.

Since her last conversation with the blonde, Santana had been debating over what songs she should include in her set list. Singing songs that were written about the best relationship she'd ever had in the midst of its fallout seemed like a cruel joke. Unfortunately for Santana, "Faster" had become a fan favorite. The girls' song was on its way to becoming her single so she couldn't skip it. "Faster" was easily the toughest song of the set list, but hearing the crowd sing it back to her every night made her feel less alone.

Despite everything that had happened between the two, each night on stage whenever Santana looked to her right, she could see Brittany eagerly watching her set like she always had. The blonde still hadn't missed one of her performances, and she swore she never would.

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday, July 26th<br>****Show # 41: Liverpool**

Tour life overseas was insane. After only six performances between Ireland, Scotland and England, Santana was already obsessed with the energy that she constantly received, on and off stage. She was surprised to find that she actually had a big fan base in Europe. She knew Pink's fans were more intense on this side of the world, but she was not expecting anything similar for herself. It seemed like everything was multiplied by twenty. The crowds were bigger, the screams were louder, the fans were crazier, and security was tighter. For the first time in her life, Santana had to be escorted places in public for the fear of encountering a crazed fan. Nothing to that degree ever happened, but security wasn't willing to take that chance.

Santana was grateful for the intensity of the second round of tour because, honestly, tour life without Brittany was worse than she could have ever imagined. She needed this crazed and hectic lifestyle to distract her from the one thing she could never get away from. Brittany was everywhere.

As the days went by it only became harder. The more time she had to herself, the more time she had to think about her last conversation with the blonde. The dialogue replayed in her mind and the image of Brittany shaking her head with tears in her eyes was one she couldn't erase. Santana couldn't help but wonder how the talk between Adam and Brittany actually played out. She wondered much of what Brittany had said in their own conversation was spoon fed to her by the manipulative boy.

Even though the girls weren't speaking, Santana noticed that Brittany wasn't her normal chipper self. Santana could see Brittany was struggling. Her appearance had changed in the past week. She seemed weak, Santana guessed she either wasn't eating or sleeping. Maybe both. Mike tried his best to figure out what was wrong but he couldn't get it out of her. As a guy, he was no good at girl talk but he did whatever he could to make her feel better. He told Santana about the fights he could hear her having on the phone and about the times he would catch her trying to hide the fact that she had beencrying. For the first time, Santana realized this breakup was taking a bigger toll on Brittany than she had thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, July 28th<br>****Show #42, Birmingham**

Show one of two in Birmingham turned out to be the craziest night of the European tour yet. Santana's set went pretty well but things got a little out of hand when a fan charged the stage during their encore performance of Perfect, nearly tackling Pink. A large scene ensued involving loads of security, police and upset fans that were forced to end the night a song early.

Thankfully, Pink was okay. Although she was a little pissed off, the girl was as tough as rocks and actually wanted to go out after the show to celebrate her survival of the fan attack. After her first day of foreign press, Santana was exhausted and decided to go to bed early. Even Puck and his antics couldn't convince her to join. By midnight she was passed out cold.

…

The sound of frantic knocking at the door brought Santana out of her lingering dreams at 2:00 am. She rolled over to look at her phone and the white light from the screen burned her half opened eyes. Still fighting off a clouded haze of sleep, the banging continued and she forced herself to get up. She stumbled through the corridor and opened the door to see Brittany, wearing a little black dress and heels, leaning against the bus.

"What are you doing here?" Santana mumbled and rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up.

"Sorry, Sanny. I know you're sleeping…I, I just wanted to see you," she said and flashed her a smile. The blonde only addressed her as 'Sanny' when she was drunk, and at that moment, Santana knew nothing good would come of this…but Brittany's blue eyes were no match for her mending heart.

"Can I come in?" she asked and looked at her best friend desperately and innocently, the way that she found hard to resist. Santana's first instinct was to say yes and let the blonde fall into her arms, but given the status of their relationship, she wasn't sure what to do. Brittany had chosen him, not her. They hadn't spoken in twelve days, and the tension between them was undeniable. No matter how many times Santana tried to convince herself that it was over, a piece of her couldn't let go. As the beautiful blonde stood before her, Santana wanted to do nothing more than let her come in. She missed Brittany so much it physically hurt her. The twelve days of awkwardness was killing her and she just wanted it to end. Santana wanted things to return to normal...whatever normal was for them. Maybe this was their chance.

"Sure, B," she sighed and took her hand to help her up the stairs. When they were inside, the dancer made her way past the common area and straight to Santana's bunk without even hesitating. It was so natural for her, and as she followed, Santana couldn't help but think she belonged there.

Brittany sat at the edge of the bed and took her heels off while the brunette slide right back under the covers where she was just before the drunken interruption.

"So did you have fun?" Santana asked, feeling obligated. Brittany crawled in bed and lay facing her.

"Not really," she said, scooting herself closer.

"Why not? I heard the club you guys were going to was awesome."

"Yeah...it was okay," her eyes broke their gaze, "I...I just wish you were there."

Her words made Santana's heart ache. She wondered if the slurring blonde would be telling her this if she hadn't had the help of the alcohol that was flowing rampantly through her veins.

"I'm sure you managed," she said with a bite, trying desperately to keep her walls up.

Brittany understood her tone. Even in her drunken state, she knew that Santana was hurting. The blonde tried to apologize with touch. She ran her hand up and down Santana's arm and the contact was electric. Goosebumps trailed the blonde's fingers and the smooth back and forth motion of her hand tracing her skin almost made Santana fall back asleep.

While she continued to sooth the girl, Brittany knew that what she was doing might make everything worse in the morning. But at the moment, all she wanted to do was be with Santana. The alcohol wiped away her thoughts of consequences and seemed to give her the courage she needed to act on her desires. Watching the brunette try to keep her eyes open, Brittany fought the urge to do more than just touch her arm. Trying to distract herself, the blonde changed the subject,

"You were really great tonight, by the way. I never told you. The crowd loved you," she said.

"Mmthanks," Santana mumbled, opening her eyes. Brown met blue and Santana felt high off the blonde's presence. It was so hard to stay mad at her. "I think Puck and I are going to sing one of his songs tomorrow."

"Really? That's great, San. When did he start writing his own stuff?"

The small talk continued effortlessly and the two caught up on the past twenty-two days they had spent apart, avoiding the obvious touchy subject of Adam. For a while, the girls lost themselves in the conversation and it felt like nothing had happened between them to begin with. After about an hour, the conversation slowed and Santana could feel sleep creeping up on her so she allowed herself to give in. Just as her eyes were at their heaviest, Brittany's soft lips were pressed against hers. It took a second for Santana to recognize that what was happening wasn't a dream. She closed her eyes tighter and responded to Brittany's lips, opening her mouth and letting her tongue roam free. It was so easy to lose herself in the blonde's touch.

"Britt…" Santana managed to say between kisses.

"Hmm?" she said, lips still colliding with hers. Before she gathered the strength to speak again, Santana gave into her desires; she kissed the blonde harder, she soaked in the warmth from her skin and she let Brittany's hands run down her chest and wander up her shirt. It had been so long since their bodies had been so close and neither girl could stop the current that was surging between them.

"What are you doing?" she finally managed to get out.

"Nothing," Brittany answered as she maneuvered herself on top of the brunette. Now straddling Santana, the blonde's motions seemed to become faster. She craved more. Kissing her deeper, Brittany's hands crept up her shirt again and found their way to her chest. With both hands, the blonde cupped the brunette's breasts and a moan escaped Santana's mouth at her touch, which only fueled the blonde even more. As the Brittany's hand trailed down her tanned stomach and met the elastic of her shorts, Santana could barely see straight. The desire was overwhelming and the effect Brittany had over her was incredible; no one else could make her feel so happy and helpless at the same time.

Time seemed to slow down and Santana's mind was racing. All she wanted was to be with Brittany, but not like this. She didn't want to go back to square one and she most definitely did not want to share her. These thoughts that she was determined to suppress, along with all the pent up frustration and depression that controlled her since their breakup, began to spill over and turn her into a pathetic mess. She couldn't contain her emotions any longer and as she continued to kiss Brittany, tears began to silently fall down her face.

The blonde hands continued to explore Santana's body and as they made their way up to her face, she immediately felt the tears that were staining her cheeks. Startled, Brittany pulled away,

"What's wrong, San?" she asked and ran her thumbs under Santana's eyes, wiping away her tears.

Santana couldn't seem to find words. For a minute, she just cried and let the blonde sooth her back to a calm state. She gathered her thoughts and tried to figure out how she was going to let down the drunk girl that was in her lap.

"I'm sorry, Britt, I can't do this."

"Why not?" Brittany said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind the brunette's ear.

"You know why!" Santana said with a bite. She hated yelling at Brittany, but she just couldn't help it. "Things are different now. You chose him, remember? You left me. No matter how much I want to, I can't pretend that I'm okay with just being your fuck buddy. I want more and you know that."

"San...I just thought we could, that we were just…I thought we could go back..," Brittany stumbled, trying to search for the right words to explain herself.

"No," Santana shook her head and bit her lip, holding back tears. They couldn't go back to how it was then. It's different now and they both knew it. The silence between them was screaming it. "I think you should go."

"But San, I just..."

"Please, Brittany. Just go."

The dancer's eyes fell and she knew Santana was right. With every word she said, Brittany could hear the pain and sincerity in her voice. The blonde knew it was her own fault, and in that second, she hated herself for it. Ashamed, she gathered her things in a haste.

"I'm sorry," was all she could muster up, and with that, she quickly left the bus.

It was a loaded apology. There were a lot of things to be sorry for, and they both knew it. Now alone, a tidal wave of emotions crashed into Santana and she couldn't stop her cries. Between shaking sobs, she managed to shoot Puck a text that simply read,

_Please come home._

There was no way she could be alone right now. Those three words were all she needed to send to convey the situation to her best friend. As she put her phone down she realized this was the first time she had let herself cry over Brittany since the day the blonde missed her flight to LA. Now that she started, Santana wasn't sure if she'd be able to stop.

Within ten minutes, Puck was there and had swiftly positioned himself in Santana's bunk so he could cradle her in his arms. He knew it would be best not to ask what had happened, so instead, he cooed and rocked her back and forth her until her cries had steadied to the release of an occasion tear. What felt like an hour later, Santana finally cried herself to sleep.

* * *

><p>...<p>

Soooo I'm sure you guys aren't very pleased with me right now. Probably not at all, and rightfully so. First it takes me forever to update and then the chapter ends with unhappy Brittana. All I can say is have a little faith!

I sincerely apologize about the delay...being back at school makes it really hard to keep up. It's much more difficult than I anticipated. There are wayyy too many distractions on campus.

But anyway, stay tuned! I hope this next chapter won't take as long. Thanks for reading/reviewing/story alerting/and all that jazz! You guys are the best.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thursday, August 2nd  
><strong>**Show #45, Belgium**

Normalcy was something that Santana was struggling to find the balance of. Ever since Brittany's drunken visit in Birmingham, things had been different. She could feel the line that she was walking with Brittany grow thinner. Her anger began to turn to longing and she desperately tried to maintain the stiff walls that were sturdily shutting the blonde out.

It had been five days. Five days of stolen glances, lingering thoughts, and a few awkward run ins. Five days and when Santana looked at Brittany, she wore she could still feel the blonde's lips pressed against her own. No matter how hard she tried to ignore the blonde, as she watched Pink's set, Santana's eyes couldn't help but follow Brittany back and fourth across the stage.

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, August 3rd: Day off<strong>

It was a game of hot and cold. Some days, like off days when Santana barely left her bus, the girls didn't even see each other. Some days, when the dancers mingled with Santana and her band backstage, they would attempt to have a small talk conversation. And other days, the tension was so thick it was unbearable for the two to be in the same room for longer than a couple of minutes.

Some moments, Santana caught herself daydreaming. Some times she would lose herself in her own thoughts of what could be, and what once was. She tried her hardest to stay in the present, in her new reality, but that was easier said than done with Brittany around all the time.

Some moments, Santana felt like Brittany loved her too. Like whenever the brunette would look up to see Brittany staring at her from across the packed dressing room. Or whenever Santana looked over her shoulder on stage to see the blonde tapping her toes to the beat of her set. Like a dagger to the heart, those moments were the worst. Santana blamed those instances on her own weakness. She had to or else the hope would drive her insane.

* * *

><p><strong>Saturday, August 4th<br>****Show #46, Finland**

Santana walked through the hallways backstage and tried to come down from the high of performing. It usually took her a while, but for some reason tonight it was taking an extra long time. The echoing screams from the crowd that were ringing in her head never seemed to die down. Instead, they overwhelmed her senses and began to make her feel nauseous.

Making her way to the bathroom, Santana pressed her hand against her temple and blinked hard as she tried to shake the headache that was about to hit her full force. Just before Santana reached the door, it swung open quickly and a fragile body crashed into her.

"Oh, I'm-I'm sorry," Santana heard a familiar voice stammer softly. The brunette picked her head up to see Brittany.

"It's okay," Santana replied, trying to get bearings on the situation. She blinked again and tried to clear the fog of nausea that was creeping up on her while Brittany attempted to pull herself together. The blonde wiped underneath her eyes as she fixed the makeup she had just reapplied and perfected.

The two stared at each other for a minute. Santana studied Brittany's face, which was still as beautiful as ever, and she bit her lip before exhaling. She so badly wanted to talk; she opened her mouth to speak, but the air was stolen from her lungs by the mere thought of Adam. The brunette exhaled again and her head dropped slowly. The sound of Brittany's heels turning to walk away pulled Santana's eyes up to watch her. As the dancer brisked down the hallway, the blonde's muffled sobs dared Santana to follow.

* * *

><p><strong>Monday, August 6th: Day off<strong>

At the table in the common area of her bus, Santana intently focused on the latest scribbles in her journal. As she tried to deceiver what she had jotted down when she was half asleep, a blur of blonde outside the bus window stole her attention.

Santana looked up to see Brittany pacing back and fourth down the side of the dancers' bus. From her posture and disheveled appearance, it was obvious the blonde had been crying. Brittany ran her hands through her hair, wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her sweatshirt and took a deep breath. Somewhat composed, she headed off to the venue for dance rehearsals.

No amount of anger could stop Santana from caring. Despite what Brittany had done to her and no matter how unfair it was, one look at the blonde in tears made Santana want to forget it all. Her immediate reaction was to go comfort Brittany. Go make sure she is okay. Go take the pain away.

Torn, Santana had to do everything in her power to stay rooted to her seat. Chasing after Brittany was not her place. Not anymore. She kept repeating that to herself as she watched the blonde walk away.

* * *

><p><strong>Tuesday, August 7th<br>****Show #47, Prague**

During the finale of Perfect, the two girls didn't hold hands. Not anymore. Now they stood on opposite sides of the stage, only glancing at one another when they thought the other wasn't looking.

Santana had gotten used to singing her solo without the blonde's hand intertwined with hers, but it wasn't the same. Now when she sang, it felt like she was pleading; like she was begging Brittany to come to her senses and to see what she does.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, August 8th: Day off<strong>

Despite Santana's persistence, she still hadn't been able to write a song since before the tour break. Sure, she'd been jotting down her thoughts and some random poems in her journal, but she still hadn't been able to attach them to a melody and create an actual song.

The inability to do the one thing she could usually depend on was starting to drive her up a fucking wall. Shouldn't this be the time songs should just be flowing out of her? She's on tour across the country with a chart topping pop star- inspiration shouldn't be hard to come by.

But it was. She knew Brittany was the still the driving force behind her writer's block. Out of answers, she turned to Puck to help her get over her slump. Between Prague and Frankfurt, this off day was a designated travel day and the two friends had nothing but time.

"Fuck it, clear your head. Let's start with a riff first," Puck said as he plopped down on the couch in the common area of their bus. "You've got plenty of material in that stupid diary for you to come up with lyrics later. Grab your guitar, Lopez."

Santana shook her head and reluctantly picked up her guitar. The only way this was going to work was if she put aside her stubbornness and dealt with Puck's witty sarcasm and intermittent backhanded compliments. As long as it meant they would eventually have a new song, she didn't care.

"You know there's a condition to my dependable assistance," Puck said with a smirk as Santana joined him on the couch.

"You mean there's a catch? You can't just help cause you're...I don't know...my best friend?" Santana asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Well, sure. But that kind of help would only guarantee you an okay, average song. If you want a hit, you gotta agree to my terms."

"Name them," the brunette said with tight lips.

"As a tradeoff for my unparalleled song writing service and an extended one-on-one guitar lesson from yours truly, we get to sing one of my songs at the next show."

Santana's answer was obvious; of course she'd agree to this deal. She felt pretty bad for not following through on the offer that she'd made a couple of weeks ago to let him sing one of his songs…so this was the perfect opportunity to make it happen.

"Look, I know we've talked about it in the past but we still haven't done it yet," Puck said before Santana could give him her answer. "And I know we were kind of joking about it before, but I'm serious about it. I wrote a song the other day that just might be my ticket to a solo career. It's a duet so it'd be perfect for us to sing."

Without Puck, this tour would have been completely different. From being her shoulder to cry on to providing helpful tips and mini guitar lessons, letting him play one of his songs during their set was the least she could do. Since the beginning of the tour, she'd already improved a lot as a guitar player, and a lot of that was thanks to Puck. Piano was still her strongest instrument, but guitar was making its way up there.

"Absolutely," Santana agreed with a warm smile. "As soon as we crank out my song, you can teach me yours. We'll play it tomorrow."

"Really?" Puck said with a little surprise.

"Yep."

"Wow, that was easy. I thought I was for sure that I was going to have to fight you for like 10 minutes on that one," the mohawked boy said with satisfaction.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get down to it," Santana said with a smile as she picked up her guitar pick and began aimlessly strumming away.

...

After about two hours of Puck's "creative genius" combined with Santana's own artistic twist, the two came up with the foundation for a great song. For Santana, it was one of the most complicated songs she ever had to learn on the guitar. After the two hours it took the come up with the riffs and chords, they spent a couple more practicing until Santana could play the song without stumbling. By the time Puck finished teaching her his song, Santana's hands were throbbing with fresh calluses. She gave up her guitar and turned to her notebook to come up with the right lyrics.

Looking through her journal was a weird experience for Santana. Sometimes it felt like déjà vu, but other times it felt like she was watching a scene in a movie that she hated. Occasionally she'd come across a past entry that she'd clearly written in an emotional haste. When that happened it was hard to believe that she was the same person that had written those irrational, depressing or outlandish thoughts.

After reading everything she had jotted down since the beginning of the tour, she closed her journal and decided to go lay down in her bunk. She needed a minute to reflect and sort out the different ideas that were floating around in her head.

It seemed like she could either write a sad song about lost love or a self-empowering song about attempting to move on. The more she thought about it, neither of those concepts really felt right. She couldn't explain it. Maybe her whole heart wasn't in it. Maybe she wasn't feeling either of those things. Maybe she had it all wrong.

As she lay in her bed, Santana couldn't shake the image of Brittany crying. Whether it was outside her bus or walking out of the bathroom, the sight of the blonde breaking down was stuck in her mind. She'd only witnessed Brittany upset twice and the thought of all of the other times the blonde shed tears without her knowing was very unsettling to Santana.

The brunette began to wonder how much of it was her fault and how much of it she could prevent. She knew that what happened to her wasn't fair, but maybe it was time to be the bigger person. Maybe it was time to put away her ever-lingering jealousy and bitterness.

The more she thought, the more she realized that by not being there for Brittany, she was only hurting the blonde even more. She knew Brittany's decision wasn't easy. She knew that the blonde was struggling on a daily basis. Santana could see the effect that the weight of her decision was having on her and she wanted to do nothing more than remove that weight and just let her be happy.

Santana's thoughts bounced around and she before she knew it she was contemplating what it meant to be in love. It was undeniable that she was still just as in love as Brittany as the first time she kissed her. If Santana had learned anything over the past couple of weeks it was that love was the reason why she couldn't stop caring. It was the reason why she was willing to make a sacrifice. She realized that if she truly loved Brittany, she would always be there for her, even if it meant she couldn't _be with her_. Being friends with her would be better than not being in her life at all. A life without Brittany seemed hard to justify.

After her thoughts were organized and her intent was clear, Santana grabbed her laptop and began typing away lyrics that were her own way of accepting Brittany's decision. As Santana finished typing the last line of the song, she promised herself that she'd do everything in her power to simply be there for Brittany. It may have been a long shot, but Santana was determined to try and rekindle any kind of friendship that they'd be able to have.

* * *

><p><strong>Thursday, August 9th<br>****Show #48, Frankfurt, Germany**

Puck, Sam and Santana huddled together backstage as they listened to the roars of the Frankfurt crowd. Between the three band members, there seemed to be a newfound energy for the night's show. They were all excited to debut Santana's new song, as well as Puck's first single. Arms around each other, current surged through them and Puck said a couple of motivating words before they took the stage.

"Let's fucking do this thing!" he yelled with a smile.

Walking out on stage to hundreds of flashing lights and thousands of screaming people was something that Santana would never get sick of. The noise from the crowd fueled her confidence as she strode across the stage and made her way over to her piano, waving to the fans the entire time.

"Wow, we got a loud crowd tonight!" Santana said, intentionally egging the audience on, as she got comfortable on her piano bench.

"Well, everyone, my name is Santana Lopez and I'm going to play a couple songs for you if that's okay," the crowd yelled even louder and the brunette laughed as she introduced the first song. "Alright well this song is called Love On The Rocks!"

Sam clapped his drumsticks together and the three began playing Santana's first single. Leaving her piano for her guitar, they followed the opener with Let The Rain. After that, they played the fan favorite of Faster, and once they finished that song they moved on to Puck's new song. As Santana bantered with the crowd, Puck adjusted his mic stand so the two were right next to each other, center stage.

"We're going to switch it up a little bit tonight with a duet. This song was written by my guitarist, Noah Puckerman. It's called We Owned the Night. Hope you like it!" Santana explained as she looked over at Puck and gave him a smile. The two began strumming away in unison while Sam got the crowd to clap along with him to the beat of the music.

The arena absolutely loved the song. It was hard not to since Santana and Puck's voices accented each other perfectly and the tune was undeniably catchy. After the second chorus hit, most of the crowd was on their feet. Puck nailed his guitar solos and they repeated the last refrain a few times so the crowd could sing along. By the end of the song, the three band mates couldn't get rid of the smiles that were plastered to their faces.

"Thank you so much! That was incredible," Santana stammered, still beaming. She continued to chat with the crowd for a bit as a stage crewmember brought out a couple of stools for Santana and Puck. The two took a seat and Santana began to introduce her last song.

"So I've been in a bit of a writing slump over the past couple of weeks. For some reason I seemed to have gotten a pretty severe case of writer's block. It's been pretty frustrating but I finally broke the spell with this new song that I'm gonna play now if that's okay with you," Santana said with a smile still lingering. "We're gonna slow it down a bit, but I hope you like it. It's called Song For You."

She looked over at Puck and he nodded. On three, they let their hands fall into the melodic and repetitive rhythm of plucking the strings.

_So today I wrote a song for you _

_Cause a day can get so long _

_And I know it's hard to make it through _

_When you say there's something wrong _

_So I'm trying to put it right _

_Cause I want to love you with my heart _

_All this trying has made me tired_

_And I don't know even where to start _

_Maybe that's a start_

As Santana sang, she thought of Brittany. Visions of the blonde flipped through her head like a slide show. With each passing line, a new memory flashed before her eyes.

_Cause you know it's a simple game _

_That you play filling up your head with rain _

_And you know you've been hiding from your pain _

_In the way, in the way you say your name _

_And it's strange how you cannot find _

_Any strength to even try to find a voice to speak your mind _

_When you do, all you wanna do is cry _

_Well maybe you should cry _

_And I see you hiding your face in your hands _

_Talking bout far-away lands _

_You think no one understands _

_Listen to my hands _

The happy visions of Brittany turned to sad ones in which the blonde was alone with no one to comfort her. Santana tried to envision the next time Brittany would get upset, and how this time, she'd be there by her side.

_And all of this life moves around you _

_For all that you claim you're standing still _

_You are moving too, you are moving too _

_I will move with you._

As Santana sang the last few words of the song, the audience reciprocated with a warm standing ovation. It wasn't a song to dance to or to sing along to. It wasn't meant to get the crowd pumped up or excited. This song was meant for listening. It was a story that was deeper than most anything she'd ever written, and the crowd seemed to understand. The gesture from her fans almost brought her to tears, and above all, it made her feel brave.

"Thank you very much," Santana said sincerely as Sam and Puck joined her for a final bow.

"Enjoy the rest of the show!" she said, and with that, the three walked off stage with their arms around each other.

"That was the fucking best show ever," Puck said as they made it off stage, shaking his head in amazement. "Did you see that crowd? They fucking loved us!"

"Definitely. That was awesome," Sam agreed.

"Come on, let's go find Courtney and Erin," Puck said to Sam. The excitement of her friends reminded Santana of two kids in a candy shop and that thought made her laugh. As she watched them scamper away, she noticed Brittany out of the corner of her eye.

The blonde was watching her intently while nervously fidgeting with her hands. Santana figured she was probably still trying to interpret the song she had just played. It was no mystery that that song was about her. Most of her songs were, anyway.

If Santana didn't make a conscious decision to change her ways, she would have ignored Brittany at a time like this. Instead, she stuck to her promise and approached Brittany slowly. Now face to face and only a couple feet apart, the two girls soaked up each other's proximity. After a couple of seconds, Santana gave her a half smile and shrugged. She struggled to find the right words that would get across her message without getting too detailed.

"Listen, I'm sorry I haven't been there for you. It's just been hard, ya know?" Santana said with raw honesty. She looked into Brittany's blue eyes and saw the blonde was listening intently and carefully, waiting on her every word.

"Friends?" the brunette offered.

Brittany took a step closer and slowly wrapped her arms around Santana. The familiar smell of strawberries and shampoo instantly filled Santana's senses and she breathed in deeply. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the feeling of Brittany's body next to hers.

"Friends," the blonde confirmed, still hugging Santana. She wasn't ready to let go, and neither was Santana. The brunette could feel Brittany begin to silently cry in her arms. It was a different kind of crying than the kind that burned in Santana's mind while she wrote Song For You. It was a form of relief, and Santana took comfort in knowing she had just made things easier for Brittany.

The two finally pulled apart and Santana gave Brittany a weak smile. She extended her arm and put her hand softly on Brittany's shoulder before nodding and walking away. As she made her way to her bus, tears rolled down her cheek. Being just friends with the love of her life was going to be harder than she thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Friday, August 10th<br>****Show #49, Munich, Germany**

Baby steps. That's all Santana could handle. She knew things wouldn't go back to normal any time soon. To be more specific, she knew things could never really go back to being normal. It would be a new definition of normal for her and Brittany. A new, less comfortable but better than nothing normal, as Santana learned to describe it.

As she made her way to the dressing room, she prepared herself for her first attempt at creating this new normalcy with Brittany. Expecting the room to be empty, she entered to see she had company. Artie, Mike, Sam, Erin, Courtney, Puck and Brittany were already there. Erin and Brittany were doing their makeup in the mirror while the others were sitting around the coffee table, downing a couple of drinks.

"Easy there, Puck. We gotta make sure you're still able to stand for our set," Santana joked as she grabbed the beer out of his hands and took a swig. Puck snagged the bottle back quickly and Santana laughed as she sat down next to him on the couch.

"Hey, hey, you know I can hold my alcohol," he replied.

"Most of the time," Courtney corrected with a smile. Puck wrinkled his nose at her before finishing off the beer.

For about a half hour, Santana sat and enjoyed hanging out with her friends again. It had been a while since the eight of them had spent some time together. She knew a lot of that was due to her drama with Brittany, but now she liked being able to make up for lost time.

Puck looked at the clock and abruptly got up and made his way to the counter to pour their usual, pre-show shots of tequila.

"Get over here, Lopez," he said; holding up the shot glasses in his hands. Santana joined him and Puck proposed a toast just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

"To friends," he said softly. Santana was taken aback by the sincerity in his voice since Puck was never serious for this kind of stuff. Not to mention, his little speech didn't even include the word fuck. Santana smiled as she realized this may have been the most genuine toast he'd ever given.

"To best friends," she agreed.

The two threw back the shots and hugged before making their way to the stage with Sam. As Santana walked out the door, she made eye contact with Brittany and gave her a warm smile, which the blonde returned instantly.

…

That night during Perfect, the two girls didn't hold hands…but as Santana belt out her solo, Brittany was right there next to her.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, August 15th: Day off<strong>

Brittany was more restless than usual. It was exactly midnight but it felt like it was only 6 PM. She was wide-awake and no matter what she did, she couldn't seem to pry her mind off of Santana's new song. As she opened her laptop at the table of her bus, she searched Santana's public Facebook page in hopes of finding anything on her latest song.

Luckily for Brittany, a fan had posted a video of Song For You. Brittany didn't know why she was surprised; Santana's fans over here were even more intense than her fans at home. The blonde silently thanked the youtuber and began to watch the 4-minute long video on repeat until she knew most of the words.

As Brittany listened, she tried to figure out what the song actually meant. She knew that Santana was telling her that she'd be there for her, but she couldn't tell if she had moved on. Either way, it was something that Adam would never do, and realizing that made Brittany wish she could turn back the hands of time.

A knock at the door of the bus snapped Brittany out of her haze. Startled, the blonde got up to sees it was Pink.

"Hey Blondie. Whatcha doing?" Pink asked with a cheery smile.

Brittany was a bit surprised to see the superstar was at her door. Off the stage, the two were friendly, but they didn't really hang out that often. They seemed to have a connection on stage; they agreed on all choreography and Brittany was Pink's go to person amongst the dancers. As the tour went on, they developed a nice system of communicating; they realized that they could simply look at each other to figure out what the other was thinking.

"Nothing," Brittany said as she returned to the table and closed out of the YouTube video and quickly opened her twitter page.

"Nothing, hm?" Pink laughed as she entered the bus and pretended not to notice the blonde's struggle.

"Can't sleep either? Listen, I'm about to head over to the bar that's down the street. My favorite security guard, Joe, is taking me. Care to join?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Brittany started.

"Great! I'll let you get ready and I'll be back in ten," Pink said with a sarcastic smile as she turned to walk back to her bus. Brittany realized that fighting was pointless; Pink clearly wasn't going to accept her pathetic excuse for not wanting to go out.

Ten minutes later on the dot, Joe knocked on the bus door and came to get Brittany. Since they were just going to the local bar and it was already pretty late, Brittany just threw on some jeans and a white tee. She hopped into the back of the car to find Pink smiling with a shot in her hand.

"Figured you could use this," she offered with a grin.

"Thanks," Brittany replied as she gulped down the shot painlessly.

The two chatted back and fourth about the success of the most recent shows until they arrived at the bar.

Joe led the girls through the front doors and a smile immediately spread on Pink's face. This place was totally her style. A couple of locals were sitting at the bar drinking a few beers and a few other stragglers were playing pool. The three made their way over to a table in the back and sat down. Brittany and Pink sit at a booth while Joe sat at a table in front of them.

"Do you ever get used to having guys like Joe around?" Brittany asked, completely thrown off by the process of traveling with security guards.

"Not really, it's weird, ya know? It's mostly just a precaution but fans can get kinda crazy."

"Yeah, I bet," Brittany agreed as she tried to imagine a lifestyle where you couldn't go to the grocery store without being flocked to by civilians and paparazzi.

"Hey Joe, wanna get us a couple of beers?" Pink asked politely with a wink. A couple of minutes later, he returned with the largest glasses of beer they both had ever seen.

"Holy shit," the girls whispered in unison. They both laughed at their own surprise and began to drink up.

The small talk about the tour continued for a while and a couple of drinks later, Pink decided it was about time to down to business.

"So, when are you going to tell me what's going on?" she asked, looking wide eyed at Brittany.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean, B. For the last couple of weeks you haven't been yourself. And I'm not blind; I've noticed that you and San aren't really talking," Pink said bluntly, cutting straight to the chase. "And I can't imagine Mike is much help in this department. So why don't you just spill."

Brittany knew playing dumb would get her nowhere. And Pink had a point; it would be nice to talk to someone about it.

"I don't really know where to start," Brittany admitted as she took another drink.

"Why don't you start from the beginning," Pink said. "We got more time than money."

Brittany laughed and realized how strangely comfortable she was talking to Pink. This was their first real conversation that didn't revolve around dancing and she didn't hesitate to spill the whole story. She started with the first day of tour and how they met. She explained their first few kisses and how it led to the break with Adam. Even though this was old news to Pink, she enjoyed hearing Brittany tell it and getting the perspective of the dancer.

Brittany went on to tell her what happened over the tour break. She explained how she had every intention of ending it with Adam but it didn't go as planned.

"It just…it kind of spiraled out of hand. At first I was the one in control, telling him that I met someone else and that I wanted to break up. But, but then…" Brittany started, clearly flustered. Tears were beginning to fall as she tried to continue explaining. This story wasn't easy to share. She couldn't stand thinking about it. Looking back now, she was mad at herself for letting Adam take advantage of her.

"He just wouldn't go down without a fight. When I told him that Santana was the other person, he made me feel terrible. He made me feel like what I had with her wasn't real- that it couldn't be real," Brittany said in between deep breaths.

"Then the guilt started. He brought up my parents and how they already don't approve of my lifestyle; just imagine how they'd feel if I had to tell them I'm dating a girl. And what about him? What about how he had been waiting for me? He went on and on about how he was the only one that had always been there for me and how this whole thing was unfair to him. He made me feel like I owed it to him to stay together."

The blonde paused from talking to take a sip of beer. She looked up at Pink to try and gauge her reaction. She was worried this story would make her look like a fucking idiot. A settling calm came over her when she realized Pink wasn't judging, just listening.

"By the time I got home that night, I couldn't stop thinking about what I had with Santana was too good to be true. Love like that didn't happen, not that fast and not that easily. And I didn't end it with Adam so I didn't know how to tell her. So I just didn't tell her anything," Brittany continued.

She went on to explain how terrible it was confronting Santana when they arrived overseas and how much it hurt to watch Santana's heart break right in front of her. Those next few weeks were miserable. She didn't leave anything out; she included her drunken night in Birmingham and how it made things worse between them but it also brought her clarity. It was the final straw that proved to Brittany she had made a mistake.

Ultimately, it led to her ending it with Adam for good. It took her a few phone calls to drive the point home to her ex that it truly was over. As she explained, Brittany flashed back to one of those phone calls with Adam. She couldn't find a quite spot backstage except for in the bathroom. After she hung up, of course she ran into Santana on her way out.

"Well, good for you, girl," Pink said. "That guy was clearly an ass."

"Yeah," Brittany said as she played with her almost empty glass on the table. "It's just, it's too late."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean it's too late with Santana. I heard her new song. It was so beautiful. And I know it must've been hard for her to write. Really, it just made me love her more…but I know it was her way of telling me that she's moving on. I messed up. I'm too late."

"You think that's what Santana meant with that song?" Pink questioned.

"Well, yeah. I don't know. It feels that way," Brittany sad softly.

"I don't think that's what she meant. It's not her moving on; I think it's her letting you know she still loves you. That song is saying she just wants you to be happy, even if that means just being your friend and not with being more than that. She just wants you to be happy, Britt."

Pink smirked as she watched Brittany think over what she'd just said.

"It's not too late. She loves you, Brittany. And it's clear you love her too. Regret can be a nasty thing. I can see it's already eating away at you, hun," Pink said as she reached across the table to hold Brittany's hand.

"Listen, I know from experience, you can't let her get away. A couple of years ago I almost let Carey get away. It would've been the biggest mistake of my life," Pink said as she shook her head and smiled, clearly thinking of her husband. "Now we're married and I've never been happier."

Brittany looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"It's not too late, B," she reassured her as she squeezed the blonde's hand tightly. Brittany's blue eyes were cloudy with brimming tears and she wiped them dry before nodding and taking a deep breath.

"Thanks," she said softly. "I can't thank you enough."

"Not a problem," Pink replied with a smile.

The two sat in silence for a while. They sipped on their drinks and the wheels in Brittany's head were churning fast.

"Hey, do you think you could help me with something? I think I have an idea," she asked.

"Sure thing, Blondie," Pink said with an eager smile. "Joe, can you get us another round?"

* * *

><p>...<p>

Once again, I'm really sorry this took to long to update. Between softball, TWLOHA, classes and personal stuff, my life has been a little crazy. But I hope you liked this chapter.

Although I said this after the last chapter, I promise I'll try to be better about the next one. I really appreciate all of the reviews/story alerts and favorites and all of that. It means a lot to know people care about this story.

The first song used in this chapter is We Owned the Night by Lady Antebellum. Lately I've been pretty obsessed with it. And the second song used in this chapter (the one the story is named after) is Song For You by Alexi Murdoch. It's absolutely one of my favorite songs ever. It's so simple but complex and beautiful at the same time. Before writing this story, this song came to mind and I listened to it on repeat for days. I read into the lyrics a bit and found they could apply to the girls' situation. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter. And go listen to Song For You and We Owned the Night.

Thanks for reading and for sticking with this story.


	9. Chapter 9

**Saturday, August 18th  
><strong>**Show #53, Netherlands**

The performer in Santana never wanted the tour to end, but the part of her that was learning how to become friends with Brittany again was counting down the remaining eight shows.

All in baby steps, she had to keep reminding herself.

Ever since Frankfurt, they had kept Puck's song in their set list rotation. Night after night, it proved to be a real crowd pleaser and Santana loved to watch her best friend light up on stage as he watched his dream come to life.

Santana's tradition of holding a meet and greet after her set continued on overseas, just with additional security. It seemed that as the tour went on, the meet and greet setting became more and more formal. Before, fans would simply gather around the merch table and she'd be able to talk to each person individually for a while. However, now that she was getting more popular and her fan base was becoming a bit more crazed, the security guards had to create a system in which fans would form a single file line that would only allow them to get a few moments with the singer.

The change was bittersweet for Santana. She missed being able to connect on a deeper level with her fans, but the fact that she now had a bigger and more dedicated following was something that she could never be upset about.

This particular night, Santana and the boys spent more time than usual at the meet and greet. They mingled all through Artie's set before they realized it was almost time for Pink to perform. As the lights flashed to indicate there were only a few minutes till show time, they parted with the remaining fans and were escorted to the sound tech pit in the middle of the arena where they usually sat to watch the set.

Within moments of arriving at their spot, the curtains parted and the sudden, dramatic increase of volume in the venue made Santana's eardrums ache. Still, after 53 shows, the intensity of the screams from Pink's fans continued to amaze her.

Pink was a professional; there was no questioning that. It was easy to see that she completely owned the stage every time she took it. There was no doubt in Santana's mind that Pink was the most underrated artist in the business. The brunette had yet to hear her sing out of tune, and she doubted that she ever would.

Glitter in the Air grew to be Santana's favorite part of the set. Seeing as she was the co-writer of song it made sense, but what Pink had done with the number over the course of the tour was unbelievable. The two had only sung the song together once and after that show, Santana decided to let Pink handle it solo. She didn't mind; it was an honor in itself to even get the opportunity to write a song with Pink. And besides, the superstar sang it beautifully without her.

Each night, Pink began Glitter in the Air in the middle of the stage but slowly made her way down the runway that led to what the crew called the "mini-stage," which was almost in the center of the arena. Waiting for her at said mini-stage was a long, rope of fabric that hung from the ceiling. During the song, Pink somehow managed to sing without missing a note while being suspended and twirling 30 feet in the air. The strength it required to maneuver swiftly and elegantly between the fabric while dangling high in the air was immense and impressive. It was an amazing sight to see and Santana was still dumbfounded at how the superstar could pull it off. Not to mention that the song itself was so emotionally charged that the lyrics alone were capable of bringing anyone to tears. The combination of the gorgeous acrobatic performance and the meaning of the song easily made it the best part of night.

Santana watched in awe as once again, Pink sang Glitter in the Air perfectly. Once she touched back down on stage after being completely air born for a majority of the song, she thanked the crowd and took a bow. She then turned around and headed back towards the center of the stage as the curtains quickly closed behind her.

As soon as the stage was hidden behind the red, velvet drapes, the crew started hustling and shuffling to rearrange the stage. The audience began to get noisy in anticipation of what was next and Santana cocked her head sideways in confusion. Within the first five shows she had Pink's set list memorized. She could recite the order of the songs in her sleep and the curtains never closed after Glitter in the Air. There wasn't a scheduled costume change until after Family Portrait which wasn't for another couple of songs. As Santana watched the crew members' shadows scurry on and off the stage, she couldn't help but think something was going on.

The fans' cheers grew louder as they became more and more restless and with each passing second, Santana was getting more and more perplexed. She turned to her right to see Puck was missing. She quickly spun around to her left to find Sam was gone too. As she scanned the pit for a familiar face, she saw Artie a couple feet away. She flagged him over and he leaned in close so he could hear over the deafening crowd.

"What's going on?" she asked.

The boy pulled away and shrugged while shaking his head; he was just as clueless and stumped as she was.

Just as Santana's eyes focused back on stage, the curtains slowly began to open and the stage was revealed. It was a new set up that Santana had never seen before.

Any evidence that the tour was a Funhouse-circus-themed extravaganza was nowhere to be found. The multicolored banners and stage props were gone and the only thing in sight was a large, block-like structure that rose from the back of the stage. The humongous, giant screen, which made up the back wall of the stage that usually displayed live video of Pink as she performed, projected absolutely nothing; giving the entire stage the cover of black.

On the right of the elevated platform, a small set of stairs led up to the top revealing her band mates, Puck and Sam, as well as a grand piano with a microphone stand. Slung around Puck's shoulder was his guitar and Sam sat behind his faithful drum set.

Now, Santana was beyond confused. In fact, she was starting to get nervous. A pit formed in her stomach and she subconsciously began fidgeting with her hands. She fucking hated surprises and seeing her friends on stage gave her a terrible feeling that this whole spectacle was about her in some way or another.

The only people that were on stage were Sam and Puck. Just as Santana wondered where Pink was, the lights rose and the spunky blonde came running out from backstage. Her return incited a near riot amongst her fans in the stands. Alone in the center of the stage, Pink threw her hands in the air, igniting the crowds' screams to reach a new level. She flashed a devilish smiled and waited for the cheers to die down before speaking.

"Alright Netherlands! You're in for a real surprise. We're about to do a song that I've never performed on the Funhouse Tour. It'll be the first and last time I play this song, and you lucky people get to witness it!"

As expected, the crowd went crazy. Santana, on the other hand, was still confused and she tried to think of what Pink could possibly have up her sleeve. Maybe she was doing another cover song of a '80s classic? Yeah, that had to be it.

"I'm sure you guys all remember Santana Lopez, right?" The brunette's eyes grew wide at the mention of her own name.

"Well she's a great friend of mine, and she's someone I truly admire as an artist. Tonight - right now, in fact, - I'm going to cover her song Hold my Heart. It's about being afraid that you'll never find someone who understands you for exactly who you are. To me, this song is about the struggle in finding the one."

Santana's whole body froze. Her muscles tensed and a sudden wave panic sent all of her thoughts to Brittany.

"It's something we can all relate to, and that's why it's my personal favorite. One of my dancers choreographed a routine specifically for this song and it's a beautiful and moving performance. Let me stop rambling so you can see for yourself! Santana, this one's for you."

Pink knew exactly where Santana was located in the crowd and despite the distance between them, their eyes locked and Pink grinned wide after giving her a wink. Then she turned around and practically skipped towards the back of the stage. She walked up the stairs and joined the two boys on the elevated platform where she sat at the piano and adjusted her mic.

Just before she began playing, the stage went pitch black. Once Pink was settled, she traced her fingers over the black and whites and pressed down, beckoning the first few notes. In sync with the start of the song, a single beam of light shown down at the heart of the stage to reveal a figure dressed in a flowing navy dress. Santana immediately recognized the dancer as Brittany, and the sight of the blonde took her back to the first day they met.

_I like Hold my Heart the most_...Santana could hear the blonde's voice in her head as she remembered when she first found out that Brittany was arguably her biggest fan. _I choreographed a dance to it,_ she said in an almost bashful voice followed by a close-lipped smile. _Maybe I'll show it to you one day._

This was that day, Santana realized as she watched the dancer give life to her song. She moved gracefully and precisely to each change of key within the opening piano riff. Her body swayed back and fourth, her muscles moving elegantly with strength and delicacy. Pink began singing the first verse and Santana was mesmerized by the scene in front of her.

_I never meant to be the one to let you down_

_If anything, I thought I saw myself going first_

_I didn't know how to stick around,_

_How to see anybody but me be getting hurt_

As the first verse came to an end, four backup dancers emerged from the side of the stage and accompanied Brittany. Two came from the right and the others from the left as the lights brightened. In a symmetrical fashion, they stood behind the blonde and mirrored her movements. Together, the five professionals combined ballet with modern dance and beautifully portrayed the emotional words that Pink was singing.

_I keep remembering the summer night_

_And the conversation breaking up the mood_

_I didn't want to tell you you were right_

_Like the season changing, oh, I felt it too_

The dancers continued to move in a flawless unison across the stage as the lighting perfectly captured the mood. With a spotlight still on Brittany, the blonde was appropriately highlighted while different stage lights revealed the backup dancers. Right on cue, background lights in shades of blue and green accentuated the five girls as their varying levels of brightness changed to the rhythm of the song.

_Does anybody know how to hold my heart,_

_How to hold my heart?_

_Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go too soon_

After the first chorus hit, Santana realized that Brittany was wearing their bracelet. For a couple of seconds, she couldn't take her eyes off the silver chain. Santana couldn't remember the last time she saw it on the blonde. At the airport maybe, before they parted for break. Now seeing the symbol of their love around Brittany's wrist tugged at her heartstrings.

_Is anybody listening?_

_Cause I'm crying_

_Is anybody listening?_

Just before the last chorus, the backup dancers parted and exited the stage, leaving Brittany alone under the single beam of light. Similar to the beginning of the song, the blonde danced slowly and with exact, graceful motions.

_I want to tell you so, before the sun goes dark_

_How to hold my heart_

_Cause I don't want to let go, let go, let go of you_

Once Pink finished holding out the last note, the lights dimmed on stage, masking Brittany in a cover of black. The audience fell silent, still soaking in the impact of the performance. After a couple of seconds, the arena erupted with applause. The spotlight turned to Pink who was smiling ear to ear, standing and clapping for the her favorite dancer. Following their idol's lead, each person in the crowd stood to their feet and gave Brittany and Pink the standing ovation they deserved.

"Everyone, give it up for Brittany Pierce! The mastermind behind that brilliant choreography," Pink said loudly into her microphone to ensure the audience would hear over their loud cheers. The venue continued to stand and clap as Brittany bowed and waved to the fans before walking off stage with a coy smile on her face.

"Alright guys, give us just a couple of minutes and we'll get back to the show!" Pink said as the curtains closed. Once the stage was hidden behind the red drapes, the crew went straight to work as they moved in fast-forward to reassemble the stage to its normal, colorful and circus-themed set up.

Santana, however, hadn't moved since the start of the song. Her feet practically grew roots into the floor and she didn't know what to feel. She was experiencing intense sensory overload as her mind raced. The audience's chants were making her ears ring all while visions of the blonde were constantly flashing through her head.

Unable to take it anymore, Santana took off running. Caught off guard by the brunette's sudden departure, the security guards were too late to catch her to escort her through the crowd. It didn't matter anyway since the people in the stands were too distracted to notice as Santana briskly fled through the isles and flew up the stairs, heading for her dressing room backstage.

Once she was in the safety of the four familiar walls, Santana sat down on the stool in front of the mirror and tried to calm down. As soon as her breathing returned to a normal pace, she let her mind unravel.

Minutes passed and Santana found herself asking this one question: what does this mean? _Does Brittany still love me? Does she want to get back together? Is she finally done with Adam for good? Does it even matter anymore? Is it too late? Am I ready for this?_

One simple question led to twenty others and as Santana thought them over, she heard her name being called from outside the hallway.

"Santana?"

Was that Brittany? Santana thought as she stood up and began pacing back and fourth in her dressing room. Shouldn't she be on stage still? Santana continued to wonder as she listened to the faint noise of the roaring crowd through the walls.

"Santana?"

She heard her name yet again over the muffled noise of Pink's continuing set. Yes, it was most definitely Brittany. As the dancer grew closer, Santana's pace quickened as she traced her steps over again.

"Santana?"

This time she said it with more desperation and Santana knew the blonde was making her way further down the long backstage hallway.

"Santana," Brittany said softly as she reached the doorway, finally making it to her dressing room.

"Hi," the brunette said as her eyes caught Brittany's.

The dancer entered the door slowly and studied Santana's facial expression. Ever since she created this plan with Pink at the bar the other night she had been wondering how Santana would react to the performance. Would she like it? Would it just make her more upset? Would it be enough? Probably not, Brittany admitted. But she had to try. She had to try.

"Hi," Brittany replied, as she stepped closer. Only a few feet apart from the brunette, she still couldn't read her blank face. It was like she was a statue.

"What about the rest of the set?" Santana asked, still a little surprised to see the blonde.

"It's not important," Brittany said bluntly.

The two looked at each other for a few seconds, Santana obviously waiting on Brittany to say something. Before the blonde even opened her mouth to speak the words she had carefully practiced, her blue eyes were clouded with sadness.

"Santana, I'm so sorry," she began. "There are no words that can express how sorry I am. I know I broke your heart, I know what I did. And I feel like a monster. There's not a day that goes by that I don't regret it."

Tears were silently falling down her face now. She wiped them away and quickly tried to compose herself all while Santana stared with empathetic eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I should have never been with Adam as long as I was. I should have broke up with him the first day of tour," she said as she shook her head. "After Birmingham, I ended it with him for good. By then I thought that what I had done was irreversible. I thought that I had hurt you too much and that I had lost you forever."

The blonde broke eye contact and looked down at her feet. Shame covered her face and she didn't want to break down in front of Santana. She took a deep breath before continuing.

"And then you sang that song and it was so beautiful. It was by far the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Putting me before yourself like that...it was so selfless and brave. And I, I thought maybe...maybe I wasn't too late," she said with audible hope as blue met brown.

"And I really hope I'm not, Santana, because it's you," Brittany said with sincerity as she desperately tried to convey the truth. "You're the one I love. You're my only reality. You're the one that holds my heart."

Santana bit her lip as she absorbed Brittany's words. She was torn down the middle; half of her heart was melting at the blonde's every word while the other half was skeptical. As she listened to Brittany speak, she couldn't help but deny that one half was outweighing the other.

"I knew it before but I was scared. I didn't think a love like this could exist. But it does. We're proof that it does and I let myself throw it away. And I just keep thinking, how can you forgive me if I can't even forgive myself?"

Brittany looked at Santana with pleading eyes and the brunette took a step closer.

"But I have to try. I have to try because I love you. I always have and I always will," Brittany finished with a strong voice.

The dancer searched Santana's face for confirmation that she believed any part of her speech.

"Please say something," Brittany begged.

Santana paused for a moment, contemplating her response. She tried sort out her thoughts before saying anything but before she could, the words that she truly felt left her mouth before she could stop them.

"It's okay," the brunette said simply.

"What?" Brittany asked, taken aback by the brunette's calm and composed response.

"It's okay, Britt," she stated again, this time taking Brittany's hand and covering it with both of hers.

"No, no, it's not though. It's not okay, I'm so sorry," the blonde persisted, still shocked by Santana's response.

"It's okay, Brittany. It's okay because I love you too. I never stopped," Santana said with clarity.

The sound of those three words coming from her soul mate turned Brittany into a mess. Tears were rolling down her cheeks and she shook her head as she tried to stop them.

"Hey, hey, B," Santana said as she stepped forward and cupped Brittany's face with her hands. "Stop crying," she cooed as she used her thumbs to wipe away the falling tears.

"I, I just...I just love you so much. You shouldn't be saying this is okay. You should hate me," Brittany stammered.

"I could never hate you, Britt. I love you. Love doesn't hate."

Santana smiled softly and Brittany couldn't stop herself from wrapped the brunette up in her arms. She nestled her face in Santana's neck as the brunette squeezed tightly, cherishing each second of their embrace.

As soon as they pulled away from the hug, Brittany leaned in and kissed Santana like she wanted to for so long. She ran her fingers through the brunette's hair and pulled her in closer as Santana's tongue colliding with Brittany's. It was heated but delicate; as their lips moved with passion Brittany tried to show the brunette just how much she loved her.

"I'm sorry," Brittany whispered between kisses. "I'm so sorry."

Santana let her hands do the talking as she gripped the blonde's hips tighter. Her fingers trailed up from the blonde's body and she gently placed her hands on Brittany's face.

When their lips parted, Brittany placed a kiss on Santana's forehead while the brunette looped her arms around the blonde's waist. For a couple of minutes, they simply stood there with their bodies tangled together. Santana rested her head in the crook of Brittany's neck while the blonde rocked slowly from side to side.

"You know that dance was amazing," Santana finally said as her eyes met Brittany's.

"You think so?"

"Mhmm. I used to picture what it would look like after you told me that you'd choreographed a routine to it. But that…that surpassed anything I imagined."

"Well thanks," Brittany said. "It was different this time."

"What was?"

"Dancing…the choreography was the same but it just felt so much different. I've never been so nervous in my entire life."

"Really?" Santana asked with doubt since she knew the blonde never got rattled before a performance.

"Yes. I think it's because I knew I had a lot to lose," Brittany said as took both of Santana's hands. "I'm never going to hurt you again. I promise."

Santana smiled. She leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed the blonde hard, letting her know that she believed her.

* * *

><p>Hope you guys liked this chapter! Thanks so much for reading!<p>

Let me know what you think of it! All reviews are appreciated. You guys are the best.


	10. Chapter 10

**Saturday, August 18th  
><strong>**Show #53, Netherlands**

After the two girls made up backstage, they made it back just in time to join Pink and the crew for the finale of Perfect.

"Are you sure you want to go out there?" Santana asked as Pink and the other dancers were getting ready to take the stage for the encore.

"We can skip it tonight," she continued, not wanting to make the blonde do anything she didn't want to.

"No," Brittany said as she shook her head with a smile. Even though part of her just wanted to curl up in her bunk with Santana, she knew that this was what the singer lived for. "I want to hear you sing."

Santana grinned in return as she gave her dancer a kiss on the cheek while reaching down and coiling her hand around Brittany's.

"Alright, let's go!" Pink yelled as she motioned for her fellow singer to join her.

"I'll meet you out there, okay?" Santana whispered in her ear as she reluctantly let go of Brittany's hand.

The blonde nodded with confirmation as Santana made her way over to Pink who slung her arm around the brunette as they took the stage.

Like usual, their appearance for the encore sent the crowd insane. Once the opening line indicated to the fans what song they'd be singing, the cheers got even louder. From backstage, Brittany listened to the two girls' voices run together smoothly through the first verse.

When the chorus hit, the other dancers and crew emerged on stage and Santana instantly found Brittany at her side. Throughout the rest of the song, Brittany had a death grip on Santana's hand. Even after the final lyric was sung, she would not let go. In unison with the rest of the crew, they took a final bow and headed backstage, still with their hands intertwined.

By the time they reached her dressing room, Santana's fingers were losing circulation.

"Easy, killer...time to let me go," Santana joked as she tried to slip her hand out of Brittany's so she could pack up her make up that was laying in a mess on the counter.

"No," Brittany said weakly with her eyes glued to their hands.

"Come on, Britt. I gotta get my stuff so we can get outta here," she persisted. As she headed to the mirror, she felt Brittany pull her hand tighter. She turned around to see Brittany shaking her head, still looking down.

"Britt?" Santana said in confusion as she tried to interpret the look on the blonde's face.

"I...I just don't want to let you go. Not again," Brittany said in the saddest of voices. She picked her head up to lock her watery eyes with Santana's.

Even though Brittany was serious, Santana couldn't help but smile softly at the quite literal interpretation of the metaphor that the blonde had created in her mind. Santana took a step forward and grabbed her other hand.

"Hey, that's not gonna happen. Okay, babe?" Santana leaned in and gave Brittany a kiss before she could even refute. The worry that had consumed Brittany began to slowly diminish. Santana could see it was still lingering, so their lips met again and the brunette kissed her worry away.

"Not in the way that you mean at least..." Santana said with a chuckle when they parted. "You're gonna have to let go of my hand though."

Brittany smiled in return and laughed as she wiped away the hint of tears.

"You promise?"

"I promise," Santana nodded.

"Pinky promise?" Brittany asked with an eyebrow raised as she let go of Santana's hand for the first time in order to extend her pinky.

Santana rolled her eyes and smirked until she saw that the blonde was looking at her in a stern and demanding way. Quickly, her face changed to mirror Brittany's seriousness and she recovered by offering her pinky as well.

"Yes, I pinky promise."

"Okay, good," Brittany said, beaming. This time, it was her turn to place a playful kiss on Santana's lips.

...

"Do you know how much I missed your bunk?" Brittany asked as she cuddled up next to Santana.

"No, tell me," the brunette replied.

"Well, I missed it terribly. Mike snores so loud and everyone on my bus never shuts up. I like it here."

"And you're sure I'm not a part of that equation somehow?" Santana asked sarcastically.

Brittany laughed and squeezed Santana tighter, nestling into her usual spot.

"I think you are maybe a little bit."

"Just a little bit?"

"Mhmmmm," Brittany said behind a huge grin. She laughed at herself for a second before putting an end to her own joke, "I'm just kidding, S. You're the only thing I missed."

That was an understatement, she admitted to herself. Brittany hadn't gotten a real, good night's sleep since the last time she was with Santana. Her restless mind either kept her from falling asleep or from staying asleep through the whole night. She had gotten used to living off of less than six hours of sleep a night.

"I just missed falling asleep next to you. It was hard without you," the dancer clarified.

"I know, Britt. Me too," Santana said, pressing a kiss to Brittany's temple.

For a while, the girls fell silent. Neither was sleeping...in fact, Santana was wide-awake. They both seemed to be appreciating where they were. For the first time in a long time, they were struck with an overwhelming feeling of ease. There was no place in the world either of them would rather be.

"Puck and Sam snore wayyyy louder than Mike does, anyway," the blonde said, sending Santana into a fit of laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, August 19th: Day off<strong>

It was Brittany's idea. Getting a hotel in Paris, that is. Once the dancer realized they had two nights in beautiful city, there was no convincing her otherwise that they would spend a night outside of the tour buses.

"Come on Sannnn," she persisted. "It'll be just like the movies! We can get a room that overlooks the Eiffel tower and we can eat French fries and take a bath in the fancy bathtub."

At first, Santana was not all excited about the idea just because of the money it would cost. Sure, she was getting paid to go on tour, but she wouldn't see that money until after the last show. For now, her budget was pretty tight. The only money she had for spending was what they made from merch, and even then she had to divide that up with Puck and Sam.

"I'll pay for it, S. Please? If you don't come, I'm going by myself," she said as she pouted, flaunting her blue eyes and begging Santana to agree.

Brittany's puppy face was Santana's weakness. She looked at the blonde with skeptical eyes and she tried to keep a straight face. Soon enough, she was smiling at how ridiculously cute her girlfriend was.

"So is that a yes?" Brittany asked at the sight of Santana's grin.

"I guess it is," Santana said with a shrug. Upon hearing the brunette's confirmation, Brittany practically shrieked in excitement and attacked Santana with kisses.

...

When they first got to the hotel, they didn't stay long. The two checked in and got settled, but then went out to explore. They ate dinner at some small restaurant and then continued on their journey through the beautifully lit city.

Santana felt like the biggest tourist but she didn't even care. They walked around in awe of their surroundings and took pictures whenever possible. Brittany took French in high school, so she tried to talk to some people while they walked around. After a few attempts at a conversation, she found that her memory was failing her. When she tried to ask for directions, she just ended up saying that her name was Brittany and that she loved ducks. It made Santana laugh every time.

They saved the Eiffel Tower for last and when they got there, they both were mesmerized by the iconic structure.

"It's so much cooler in person," Brittany said, eyes glued to the glowing tower.

"So much cooler," Santana agreed. As she stared, her mind took her back in time. The sight of the Eiffel Tower that she'd only seen in movies and books made her reflect on how she even got to be there.

"I can't believe it," the singer said, her head shaking in astonishment.

"Can't believe what?"

"Everything. That I'm actually here. That you're here. That I'm on tour with Pink and that I'm in love in Paris. If someone would've told me that I'd be here, in this exact position, a year ago, I wouldn't slapped them in the face and called them a liar," Santana said, still looking up at the tower in front of them.

"It is amazing," Brittany agreed as she smiled and looped her arm through Santana's. She leaned in and gave the brunette a kiss on the cheek just as she held the camera in front of her and snapped a picture.

"Hey! I wasn't ready!" Santana protested.

"That's okay, San, it's super cute," Brittany said as she flipped through the camera's memory to the latest picture.

"Doubt it."

"Don't doubt it. You're adorable," Brittany said as she wrinkled her nose and pressed it against Santana's cheek, burying kisses up and down her face.

"Britt!" Santana said between fits of laughter. Almost instinctively, she turned her head and her lips met Brittany's. They kissed softly with no rush or haste. It was passionate and beautiful and Brittany couldn't help but smile midway through.

"I love you," the blonde said when they parted.

The sound of those three words would never get old to Santana. The brunette placed her hand softly on Brittany's cheek and admired everything about her. She loved the way her hair fell around her face, the way her eyes shined blue and the way she grinned like she didn't have a care in the world.

"I love you, too," Santana replied before kissing her girlfriend again.

Sure enough, that one picture ended up being Santana's favorite from the evening, and probably from the whole tour. While Brittany was kissing her on the cheek, Santana's wore a huge smile. She was perfectly happy; she was filled with bliss; she was completely alive. Each time Santana looked at the picture, she was brought back to that precise moment and that exact feeling of perfection.

That single picture seemed to make everything worth it. The struggle, the hurt...it didn't matter anymore. It was all in the past and they only had the future to look forward to. And with her head resting on Brittany's shoulder as she gazed at the Eiffel Tower, the future seemed pretty bright to Santana.

* * *

><p><strong>Wednesday, August 22nd<br>****Show #56, Milan**

"Can I see?" Brittany asked as she scooted closer to Santana. The two sat side by side at the table in the dancer's bus, both freshly showered after their show in Milan. Brittany smelled extra delicious and her scent practically had Santana intoxicated. She nodded and moved her laptop over so the blonde could see too.

There were only four shows left, and as the tour was drawing to a close, Santana was working more and more at organizing her final collection of songs that she had put together since the first show.

"I'm trying to narrow it down. I can only have about 12 songs for the next album," Santana explained as she scrolled down a list of songs in Garage Band that seemed endless. "They're not all done yet or anything. They're mostly rough demos and a few only have the chorus recorded."

"Holy crap," Brittany gasped. "You're like a song-writing machine."

Santana laughed quietly before responding.

"I guess you could say that. I have them split up into categories though. These are the songs I definitely want to record…I'm on the fence about these…and those ones are duds," she explained.

As Brittany studied each column, she couldn't help but notice most of the songs in the "record" column were about her: _Someone Like You, Faster, Goodbye Apathy, Edge of Desire, Breathe In Breathe Out, True Like Your Name, _and mostly recently_, Song For You_.

"Can I hear some?" Brittany asked after she realized that she hadn't heard most of the songs on the list. The only new material she had been exposed to were the select songs Santana decided to include in her set. However, Santana shook her head with a tight-lipped smile.

"Come on, San! Please!" the blonde begged.

"I told you, B…I wanna wait until I can get in a real studio. Garage Band is great for the road, but the quality kind of sucks," Santana said.

"That's okay. Just play one. I only wanna hear one," Brittany said as she took advantage of Santana's weakness for her sweet antics. She delicately placed kisses up the brunette's neck and onto her cheek, as she waited for a response. "How about True Like Your Name? I've never heard that one."

Santana sat still with a fake, angry face as she relished in the feeling of Brittany's lips against her skin. Without saying a word, she pressed play on the track and the chorus began to play.

Brittany listened to the demo recording of her girlfriend singing with only an acoustic guitar behind her. Santana's voice sounded rich and extra raspy, which only added to her enjoyment of the song. When the short recording ended, Brittany kissed Santana on the cheek as a thank you.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No," Santana admitted with a smirk. "Did you like it?"

"Loved it."

"Good. I like that one too," the brunette said. As she moved the track closer to the top of the record list, a memory from the day she wrote it popped into her head. She smiled as she recalled it was the day she realized that she was in love.

* * *

><p><strong>Sunday, August 26th<br>****Show #60, Vienna**

Santana never thought the last day of tour would actually come. She tried not to think about all of the lasts that were about to happen. It would be her last time playing her set on the Funhouse Tour, her last time participating in her pre-show routine with Brittany, her last shot of tequila with Puck, and her last time sharing the stage with Pink. Everything seemed so final, and that feeling was very unsettling for Santana.

So far, she'd been successful in keeping those thoughts in the back of her mind, but as she sat in her dressing room she could feel reality creeping up on her. For a while, she stared in the mirror and she let herself completely zone out.

"Boo," Brittany said softly as she snuck up on Santana who was sitting on a stool. She wrapped her arms around Santana's neck and hugged her from behind.

"Hi," Santana replied with a weak smile.

"What's wrong, babe?"

"Nothing," the brunette replied as she reached to grab her mascara to finish applying her makeup.

"Nothing? It doesn't look like nothing," Brittany said as she moved to lean against the counter in front of the mirror so she was now facing Santana.

"I just can't believe it's over," the brunette said.

"I know, it's weird."

"So weird," Santana agreed.

"You know it's just the beginning though, right? The tour may be over but this is just the beginning for you, for your career, for_ us_."

As Brittany spoke, Santana could feel her somber mood disappear and be replaced by hope.

"There's a lot to look forward to, S," Brittany said with a smile.

"You're right," Santana said before she stood up and took a step into the blonde's open arms.

"Whoa! Whoa! Don't want to interrupt anything!" Puck said over-dramatically as he pretended to shield his eyes. He entered the dressing room with a bottle of tequila in one hand and a couple of shot glasses in the other. Sam, Artie, Mike, Courtney and Erin trailed him and soon enough, the dressing room was full of their friends.

Too distracted by her embrace, Santana couldn't even muster up a comeback. Instead, she smiled smugly and let Puck have his moment as the jokester. When the two parted, Brittany went to sit on the couch and mingle with Courtney and Erin.

"Last show, Lopez! Can you fucking believe it?" Puck said, placing the alcohol on the counter next to his friend.

Santana shook her head and shrugged…but when her eyes caught Brittany's from across the room, a smile spread on her face.

"Yeah, let's make it count," she said.

"Yeah, definitely. Hey, Sam...come join us for the last shot," Puck said as he summoned the blonde boy who was sitting on the arm of the couch next to Erin.

As the three of them were circled together, Puck poured the shots and handed each of his band mates a glass.

"Hey, before we do this," Santana said as she cleared her throat, "I just wanna say thanks for, ya know...everything. This tour wouldn't have been the same without you guys."

"Awwwww," Puck said, throwing his arm around Santana. "Look, Sam! Lopez is a softy."

Sam laughed and rested his hand on Santana's back.

"Yeah, yeah. Say whatever you want. I'm serious, though. You guys are the best."

"We know," Puck said before kissing the girl on the top of the head. It was a rare but sincere form of affection between the best friends, and it filled Santana's heart. "But we should be thanking you. These couple of months have been the best of our life, right Sam?"

"Definitely. Thanks, Santana," he said sincerely.

"Alright, alright, enough with this sappy stuff," Santana said, grinning. "Let's do this."

"To not fucking up," Puck said as he held his shot glass in the air. Santana laughed, remembering this toast as the same one from their first show.

"To not fucking up," Santana and Sam replied in unison. The three gulped down the shots and gathered themselves for their set. Puck and Sam went to give their girls a hug, and Santana turned around to see Brittany who was looking at her with a sheepish smile.

"What?" Santana said with a chuckle as she took a step closer.

"Nothing, it's nothing. I'm just proud of you," the blonde said with warm eyes.

"Really?" the singer asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Of course I am, San. Number one fan, remember?"

There was something about hearing that phrase that drove Santana crazy. It instantly put a smile on her face. Somehow, it made _her _feel like she was the fangirl and Brittany was her superstar.

"Mhm, I remember. Come here," the brunette said as she tugged on Brittany's t-shirt and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Jesus, Lopez, let's go," Puck said as he chuckled and rolled his eyes. Sam led the way and Puck followed him out of the dressing room, waving Santana to follow.

"Good luck, San," Brittany said with a peppy smile.

"Thanks, babe. See ya after!" Santana replied before chasing her boys down the backstage hallway.

...

Santana's final set felt like a dream. It was serene and magical…yet parts of it were a blur. As she sang the chorus to Faster, she tried to commit everything she was experiencing to memory. She looked around the arena and first snapped pictures in her mind of the rowdy crowd, then her best friends on stage, and finally Brittany who was at the side of the stage, watching her with loving eyes.

Santana scanned the sea of people in front of her and watched them sing the words to her and Brittany's song back to her. She closed her eyes as she sang the final line of the song, wanting to forever remember the joy that came with sharing their song to the world.

...

The rest of the six-song set flew by and before she knew it, she was backstage with her friends again, having a couple of drinks and reminiscing on their favorite tour memories.

"Dude, remember that time when Puck nearly missed the bus and he had to chase it down two whole blocks?" Mike said, inciting a chorus of laughter within the dressing room.

"Yeah, yeah, very funny. Didn't notice I was gone, did ya Lopez? Thanks for the help with that one," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeahhhh, sorry about that, Puck," Santana said while biting her lip, trying to hold back her own laughter.

They swapped stories back and fourth all through Artie's set until it was time for Pink and the dancers to take stage. The group of friends parted ways and Artie, Santana and her band mates took their normal spot in the sound pit just as the set began. The curtains flew open and Pink exploded onto the stage.

Like usual, her performance was charismatic, entertaining, moving, and flawless. Although she sounded amazing, Santana could tell that Pink was extra emotional knowing it was her last show of the Funhouse Tour. Each line packed a powerful punch and the notes that she belted were held a bit longer. Ultimately, it made for the best performance Santana had ever seen.

Usually, she and the boys would make their way backstage as Pink began to play So What…but tonight they left a song early to prepare for the last finale with the rest of the crew. The three ran to their dressing room and gathered the bouquet of various shades of pink flowers that they had hand selected earlier in the day.

Right on time, Puck, Sam and Santana met Pink and her dancers backstage after her last song of the normal set. The makeup team quickly went to work, touching Pink up while someone else handed her a water bottle.

"You ready, Lopez?" Pink yelled over the sounds of the rambunctious crowd. "One last time!"

The brunette nodded and they linked arms. Santana shot Puck a wink as he stood a couple feet back with the flowers behind his back. The two singers took the stage and greeted the thousands of fans who were already on their feet.

They sang with a kind of power that Santana didn't know was possible. When the second chorus rolled around, both of the girls were fighting tears. The only thing that kept Santana from losing it on stage was the tight squeeze of Brittany's hand around hers.

As the last chorus began, each crewmember took the stage with the dancers and performers. Every behind-the-scene person that had any part of making the tour a success was now standing on stage, getting the standing ovation they deserved.

Feeling the current surging through the stadium, Pink decided to try something new. She repeated the chorus once more, but this time she let the audience sing the words on their own without any assistance from her or Santana. The band continued to play, but the music could barely be heard over the screams of the crowd.

It was a once in a lifetime moment; it felt like time stopped completely. Brittany and Santana listened in amazement as the crowd sang the words to the anthem with the force of an army.

By the time the audience finished the final chorus, there wasn't a dry eye on stage. Even the boys were tearing up. Discretely, Puck handed Santana the flowers. The brunette then turned to her idol, and now one of her best friends, and handed her the bouquet.

Upon receiving the flowers, a floodgate of tears began falling down Pink's face and she suffocated Santana with a bear hug. The crowd's cheering echoed which made it sound ten times louder as everyone formed a single file line for a final bow. The line stretched across the entire stage and in unison, the crew and performers bowed several times, waving, laughing and smiling between each one.

"Thank you!" Pink said, over and over again with various, grateful comments added in each time.

"See you next time!" she finally yelled as the group of people on stage began to slowly exit to the left.

After another minute of waving and thanking the crowd, Santana and Brittany walked off stage together, tangled in each other's arms. Brittany had her arms over the brunette's shoulders while Santana was hugging the blonde's waist.

Even though both of the girls were still crying from the emotional finale, neither was too upset. It was hard to be when they were wrapped in each other's arms.

* * *

><p>….<p>

Thanks for reading! Hope you liked this chapter. It was pretty fun to write. Happy Brittana is the best. I'm thinking there's going to be one more chapter, so be on the lookout for that soon hopefully.

Thank you to all who have followed this story. Whether you've been sticking with my painfully slow updates or if you've just discovered it, I appreciate all of the story alerts and favorites and reviews!

In case you were curious, here is a list of the songs that were said to be written by the fictional characters in the story:

Hold My Heart - Sara Bareilles  
>Love On The Rocks - Sara Bareilles<br>Let The Rain - Sara Bareilles  
>Moving Backwards - Ben Rector<br>Someone Like You - Matt Wertz  
>Faster - Matt Nathanson<br>Goodbye, Apathy - OneRepublic  
>Edge of Desire - John Mayer<br>Breathe In, Breathe Out - Mat Kearney  
>True Like Your Name - Steve Moakler<br>Song For You - Alexi Murdoch  
>We Owned the Night - Lady Antebellum<br>Glitter in the Air - Pink

I hope I didn't forget any but I think that's it! Again, thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

After the tour ended, the two girls went home. Santana went back to LA while Brittany returned to New York. The goodbye wasn't so bad only because they knew they wouldn't be apart for too long since Brittany had booked a plane ticket to visit Santana in about a week.

A couple of days after she got home, Brittany's mother reached out to her and asked to have dinner. After some intense persuasion, Brittany reluctantly agreed and the dinner turned out to be much more than she expected. For starters, when she arrived at the restaurant, her father was there too. Brittany was stunned when their discussion ended up being everything that she had wanted to hear from her parents from the beginning. They apologized and admitted they were being close-minded before about her career choice as a dancer. Ultimately, they just wanted to her be happy. Her father even said that he was proud of her.

Brittany wasn't planning on telling them about Santana at dinner, but things were going so well that she couldn't resist. After explaining a summarized and edited version of what happened over the summer with the tour and with Adam, she was terrified to see her parents' reaction. Her father's especially. But when he smiled and simply stated, "As long as your happy," Brittany finally felt at ease.

Even her parents could see the joy that radiated from her daughter as she spoke of the singer who had swept her off her feet. There was no denying that Adam had never or could never make her this happy.

After the dinner, Brittany called Santana sobbing, initially giving the brunette a panic attack. When she explained she wasn't crying because she was upset, but that she was crying from happiness and relief, Santana finally calmed down.

"I knew they'd come around eventually," the brunette said through the phone.

"How'd you know that? I didn't even know that," Brittany sniffled on the other side of the line.

"I know these things, Britt."

"I'll have to keep you around then," the blonde joked and Santana could envision the smirk she was wearing, even thousands of miles away.

After a week or so of being home and visiting with her friends and family, Brittany hopped on a plane to see Santana in LA. She was used to traveling from being on tour, but there was something about doing it without Santana that made her uneasy. Brittany packed her biggest suitcase and filled it to the brim with clothes. She didn't really have a plan for when she'd be coming back home, but somehow that didn't bother her in the slightest.

...

When she landed in LA, Santana was in the process of recording her sophomore album. The singer took off early from recording to pick Brittany up from the airport. After their dramatic and prolonged greeting in the terminal that Brittany planned all along to mimic a scene from a movie, they walked hand in hand back to Santana's car.

On the way, Santana had some big news to share. So big, in fact, that she waited to tell Brittany in person instead of telling her over the phone. As they walked, Santana shared that she was offered a record deal from Pink's label, RCA Records. Since the company was a much bigger name than the small one she was a part of now, she couldn't pass it up. It was an honor and a privilege, and Santana had been looking for a way out of her old contract anyway. She had always felt like the smaller label wasn't a good fit for her. Ever since they tried to control her creative process on her first record, she felt like they didn't believe in her and that she was constantly having to prove herself as an artist.

Upon hearing the news, Brittany was overjoyed. She asked a million questions about everything the transition meant for her girlfriend. Originally, Santana was planning on taking Brittany back to her apartment first to get settled...but instead, the blonde insisted that they go to the studio so she could see what it was like. Santana explained that everyone had gone home for the day and that no one would be there to help with the sound. But still, Brittany persisted.

When Santana groaned and questioned why, the blonde simply stated with a smirk.

"Number one fan, remember?"

Santana nodded with a laugh. She turned around and headed for the studio as she took Brittany's hand in hers and brought it to her lips for a kiss.

...

Ever since she landed in LA, Brittany was attached at Santana's hip. Everyday was a new adventure. Brittany didn't have any responsibilities and Santana worked on her own schedule, stopping by the studio whenever she wanted for a few hours a day. They went together, of course, seeing that Brittany couldn't get enough of watching the behind the scenes process of making an album. Santana's music was sounding better than ever and Brittany loved watching her thrive in her comfort zone of the studio.

For the first couple of days of Brittany's visit, the couple kept to themselves. At night, they barely left Santana's apartment, let alone her bedroom. The brunette loved sharing a real bed with Brittany as opposed to a bunk on a bus. She loved waking up next to the dancer and she loved the sight of her walking around the apartment in nothing but one of her old oversized t-shirts.

She loved all of the little things that came with living Brittany. Like her toothbrush next to her own and her little messes that she left around the apartment. Ordinarily stuff like that bothered Santana, but seeing the blonde's pile of magazines and nail polish left out on the kitchen table only made her smile.

...

Eventually, Santana took Brittany to all of her favorite spots around town. They met up with Puck and Sam a couple of times at their regular booth of their favorite bar. Each time, as the rounds kept flowing, Santana would tell Brittany about all of the times they used to come here in the past. Back then, Santana and her best friends made an appearance at the bar almost everyday, even if they didn't purchase anything. It became their haven of sorts; a place they could go to escape the harsh reality of the hardships that came with pursuing their music. When they did order drinks, they paid with change and the bartender fucking hated it but still took their money every time.

One night, she took Brittany to the Café for a small show. She explained that this was the place where she first started performing. Without it, she wasn't sure how her career would've ended up. When the owner of the tiny venue found out that the infamous Santana Lopez was back in town, he insisted that she play a song for them. The brunette politely declined but when the manager insisted, Brittany began a chant amongst the group of people in attendance and Santana couldn't refuse.

Santana reluctantly took the stage and the owner handed her a guitar. The small crowd of thirty greeted her warmly before she played her latest single, Faster. Being on stage at the Café again was like déjà vu for Santana. For a verse, she lost track of awareness and it felt like she was a struggling artist again, begging for shows and for the chance to share her music. Only the sight of Brittany, who was smiling and singing along across the room, brought her back to reality.

That night, Santana fell asleep early while watching a movie with Brittany on the couch. The combination of her time spent at the studio earlier in the day and her impromptu performance at the Café did a number on her.

When she woke up in the middle of the night, Santana looked around to find she was back in her bed. Brittany had her arms wrapped around her and Santana was the small spoon, just how she liked it. Still asleep, the blonde reacted to Santana's movement by nestling in closer. Her lips grazed Santana's the back of neck, causing a smile to spread across the brunette's face.

...

As the days went by, Brittany found herself thinking more and more about the future. No matter what she was doing, it always seemed to be in the back of her mind. She knew it was because she and Santana hadn't really talked about that part of their lives yet. They both had implied that they wanted to be together forever, but no real plans had been discussed.

As Brittany watched Santana sing in her booth in the studio, she imagined the brunette bringing the songs to life during her next tour. There would be a next tour, she assumed. Many things about the future felt uncertain to Brittany, but Santana's success was not one of them.

All of the thinking about a potential tour made her contemplate what her role would be in it. Would she even have one? Would she have another job by then? Would they be able to be apart for months at a time?

Questions such as these scrolled through her mind and she tried her best to not let the worry get in the way of enjoying her trip to LA. After all, she loved living with Santana. Even the thought of the undetermined future that lingered in her mind couldn't keep her from becoming more attached to Santana by the day. She fell very accustomed to the routine of waking up next to her girlfriend, making her breakfast and spending the day together doing whatever they pleased.

With time, another thing Brittany grew to find was that she couldn't shake the fact that she wasn't attached to LA like she was to New York. She missed the rush of the city and the hectic yet comforting and familiar feeling that the concrete jungle provided. LA just couldn't compare, and Brittany was missing home. At the same time, she couldn't imagine living without Santana. Especially not after how well their relationship was doing outside of tour life. Being across the country from Santana seemed impossible now.

Still after two weeks of her trip, the two hadn't talked about their future together. Neither brought up the subject due to the fact they didn't want to acknowledge that Brittany's vacation would eventually have to come to an end.

One night while they were eating takeout Chinese in Santana's apartment, Brittany finally gathered the courage to speak up.

"Hey, San?" she asked in an innocent voice from across the table.

"Yeah?" Santana replied as she looked up from her food and locked eyes with Brittany, sensing what was about to come.

"What are we gonna do?"

"What do you mean?" the brunette asked as her brow tensed.

"I can't stay here forever without getting a job soon. I need to know what our plan is so I can figure out mine," Brittany stated with half a smile, trying to convey the sensitivity and importance of what she was trying to get at.

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to be where you are," the blonde stated like it was the most obvious fact in the world.

"Well, me too," Santana agreed.

"But...but I also miss New York. I only love LA because you're in LA," Brittany explained and Santana couldn't help but smile at the blonde's adorable honesty. "I feel like there's a lot more opportunity in New York for me as far as the dance industry goes."

"Yeah," Santana said, nodding, knowing that it was true.

"But if you don't want to go there...I can find something here. If you need to stay in LA for your music I'm sure there's a job for me here...I just need to figure it out soon, ya know?"

Brittany studied Santana's face. She sat up and made her way around the table to sit next to the brunette who was still pondering her words.

"What are you thinking?" the dancer asked.

"I'm thinking that living on opposite sides of the country sounds like a nightmare."

"I know, me too."

Brittany rested her hand on Santana's leg and drew small circles with her thumb while the singer continued to contemplate their options.

"What else are you thinking?" she pressed on.

"I'm...I'm thinking that we should get a place together...in New York."

"Really?" Brittany asked with surprise in her voice.

"Really," the brunette confirmed.

"Are you sure? I...I don't want to make you leave if you don't want to. This place is your home. I know you love this apartment."

"Britt, you're my home now. This city, this apartment...it doesn't matter unless you're here. And I love New York. I've always had and when we played Madison Square Garden, I didn't want to leave. I mean...I'll have to wait until I finish recording the album but I can do all of the promotion stuff from New York."

"Really?" Brittany asked again, stunned at why she expected her girlfriend to respond any other way.

"Yeah, Britt," the brunette said with a soft smile.

Brittany didn't say anything for a couple of seconds. Instead, she just looked at Santana with adoring eyes. In that moment, she knew she couldn't love anyone more. She smiled before grabbing the back of her girlfriend's head and pulling her in for a deep kiss. Their lips ran together with fluidity. Santana ran her tongue over Brittany's and the contact took her to a new high.

When their lips finally parted, Brittany scooted her chair closer and began to play with the drawstrings of Santana's sweatshirt.

"You want to get a place with me?" Brittany asked with a coy smile. Amidst the discussion of moving across the country, the fact that Santana had implied that they would be getting a place together almost slipped the blonde's mind.

"Mhmm," Santana said with a smirk as she felt Brittany's lips that were now pressed against her neck move up towards her face. "Do you want that?"

"Very much," the dancer replied before placing a quick kiss on her lips.

"Good. And I'm glad you said something. I wanted to but I didn't want you to have to leave," Santana admitted.

"I know, me too."

"Hey, hold on a sec," the brunette said a light bulb went off in her head. "I almost forgot."

Suddenly she stood up and briskly walked off to her room and began to dig through her sock drawer until she found what she was looking for.

"I got something for you today," she said as she sat back down next to Brittany.

"Is that why you made me go out to lunch with Puck?" the blonde teased.

"Was it that bad?" Santana asked with a grimace.

"No, it was nice actually."

"Good. But yes, that's why," the brunette said with a chuckle.

"Anyway, this is for you," she said as she handed Brittany a small black box. The blonde's blue eyes widened upon the sight of the box that almost certainly contained something expensive. Brittany opened it to find a sterling silver ring with a knot in it. It was simple. It was beautiful. It was Brittany.

"It's not _the _ring," Santana said as she cleared her throat. "But it's _a_ ring. It's my promise to you."

"San, I...I love it. You didn't need to do this." Brittany's voice stammered.

"I wanted to," Santana replied with a smile as she watched Brittany admire the ring.

"But I didn't get you anything," the blonde said as her face contorted with guilt.

"That's okay, B. I don't want anything."

Brittany looked down at the ring that was now on her right ring finger and back up at the girl in front of her. She placed her hand on Santana's cheek, leaned in, and kissed her delicately.

"Thank you," Brittany said sincerely.

"You're very welcome."

The blonde stood up and moved from her chair to Santana's lap so she was now straddling her.

"I love you. You know that, right?"

Santana nodded as she tucked a loose piece of blond hair behind Brittany's ear.

"I love you," Brittany said again. "I love you, I love you, I love you," she repeated in between kisses.

...

After two months, Santana finished recording her sophomore album in which she entitled, _Summer Love_. She dedicated the album to Brittany, as most of the songs on it were about her and their first summer together. Once the recording process was finished, as promised, she and Brittany moved to New York together and bought a condo on the Upper East Side. Brittany did most of the decorating and by the time it was complete, they were both proud to call it home.

Not only did the Funhouse Tour give Santana the love of her life, but it also ended up being the inspiration necessary to allow her to create an album that rose to number two on the Billboard 200 highest selling records.

With the help of extensive promotion and the support of her fellow RCA Records artist, Pink, Santana Lopez became a famous and recognized name within a month of the album's release. You couldn't turn on the radio for more than ten minutes without hearing Faster. It became the most requested song in the country, selling over 3 million digital copies in the U.S. alone. As a way to continue to promote her album, she was a guest on television programs like the Late Show with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, and Brittany's personal favorite, the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

For the first time in her life, Santana didn't have to worry about money. It was a luxury she would never take for granted. Together with Brittany, they invested wisely and made sure to donate to as well as bring awareness to as many LGBT organizations as they could. Surprisingly to Santana, her sexuality did not have an effect on her career. For a long time she worried that people wouldn't be accepting, but thankfully that wasn't the case. After _Summer Love_ was released, there was no denying her fan base was stronger than ever.

Santana's newfound fame was more overwhelming than she anticipated. The paparazzi quickly became her number one pet peeve. If it wasn't for Brittany who calmly held her hand while she so charmingly and politely handled the buzzing photographers, Santana was sure she would've punched one of the bastards in the face by now.

There were some things she would never get used to. She'd never get used to seeing her face in magazines and she definitely would never understand why people cared so much about her personal life. Through all of the madness, Pink became a real mentor when dealing with the intrusive consequences that came with making it big as an artist.

Since she had experience, Pink seemed to have the lifestyle under control. She made time for her fans and became tolerant of paparazzi as long as they weren't rude. She understood that her career choice came with these consequences but she also managed to maintain her privacy. With Pink's help, it was something that Santana was slowly but surely learning and adapting to.

With all of the craziness that came with her celebrity status, things between her and Brittany never changed. That was the one thing that Santana was grateful for the most. They still ordered Chinese every Wednesday, they still went out to their favorite restaurants and clubs on the weekends, and most importantly, they still were head over heels in love. Santana wondered if the butterflies Brittany gave her would ever go away. She swore to herself that her girlfriend would always come first, no matter what her job demanded.

Brittany was busy with her own career, anyway. A few months after the release of _Summer Love_, the blonde got a job as a choreographer for a big time Dance Company in the city. She had been building up her resume doing performances here and there and she finally landed the job she'd always wanted. The nice thing about her new position was that it came with flexibility. She was in control of her own schedule, which made it easy to correspond her working hours with Santana's. That way, they were able to spend as much time together as possible.

Back in LA, Puck was busy working on his solo career. After the small record label that originally signed Santana offered him a contract, he released his debut album with We Owned the Night as his first single. With the help of Santana's recommendation, his song ended up getting some radio time. Soon enough, he was headlining shows at the Cafe and building up a fan base of his own.

To Santana's amazement, Puck was still seeing Courtney. They took a break for a while after the tour ended when the dancer went home to New York, but eventually she moved to him. Santana couldn't believe that the redhead actually managed to make her best friend, the ultimate bachelor, actually settle down. To no one's surprise, Sam was still with Erin. Within two weeks of the tour ending, they were happily engaged.

Santana and Pink were still good friends. Even though Pink lived in LA, they still saw each other all the time either at RCA events or personal visits. During one trip to LA, Pink broke the news that she was pregnant with her first child. She admitted she was scared shitless, but Santana assured her she'd be a fantastic mother. After that visit, Santana became "Aunt Sanny," as Pink so endearingly called her.

About a year later, it was time for Santana to tour again with her new batch of music. This time, she was headlining with Puck as the opener. It was a four-month, 70 show tour. Similar to the Funhouse Tour, the first half took place in the states while the second half finished overseas.

It was a completely different experience. This time, Santana's bus was the fancy, decked out one. This time, each and every screaming fan in the sold out venues was there to see _her_. This time, she was the one who had her own personal security guards. And this time, Brittany wasn't there dancing.

For the first two months of tour, her responsibilities to her job in New York kept her from joining Santana. Once a year, her Company put on its signature, annual show. Between rehearsals, board meetings, and promotion for the event, there was no way Brittany could duck out to accompany Santana on tour.

Being apart for two months was tough, but the couple found that it flew by. Santana was sucked into the whirlwind of her headlining tour and Brittany was diving head first into being the main choreographer for one of the most pristine dance company's in the state. They were both so busy that two months felt like two weeks.

They talked on the phone everyday, and when Santana played Madison Square Garden one month into the tour, they got to see each other. Thankfully, Brittany got off work those nights so she was able to spend every moment with Santana. Those two shows felt the most like the Funhouse Tour. Even though they had the option to sleep in their own bed since they were in New York, they opted to sleep in the bunk of Santana's bus, just for old time's sake. There was something about being back in the tiny, twin size bed together over a year later that made them both appreciate how far they'd come.

Once her Company's show finished, Brittany joined Santana for the last 35 shows overseas. Brittany didn't like that she wasn't apart of the tour this time around. She missed dancing and holding hands with Santana on stage during the encore. Watching her girlfriend work the crowd so well just like Pink did on the Funhouse Tour seemed to make up for it, though. The difference between the performer that Santana was now compared to the one she was on her debut tour was immense. She had definitely taken after Pink as her personality and perfect vocals dominated each performance. So although she didn't dance on this tour, Brittany loved watching Santana's dreams come to life. It became a running joke between the two of them that Brittany's official title of their second tour together was the ultimate groupie.

The last two shows of Santana's headlining tour were in Paris. It was there that Santana proposed to Brittany at the same place her favorite picture of them was taken over a year ago. It was there that Santana got down on one knee as Brittany gazed at the Eiffel Tower. It was there that Brittany said yes.

...

_Brittany Pierce changed my life. She's my absolute soul mate. My shoulder, my rock, my inspiration; she's everything. And when we have a family, I'm going to make sure our kids know that fairytales can come true and that true love exists. And that's because Brittany Pierce is my living, breathing proof._

**End.**

...

Hope you guys liked this chapter! I'm sad to say that it's the last one. I think Brittany and Santana have reached their well deserved happily ever after.

Thank you so so so much for reading. I never thought I'd post any of my writing and seeing the response to this fic has just made me want to write more.

All reviews are appreciated! I love hearing what you guys think.

Again, thanks to all who have followed this story!


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